Bus Accident Attorney in Pettis County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Pettis County, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a destructive bus accident, take the first step in your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents rarely receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Pettis County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you get the full compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Pettis County and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their careless behavior. Our Pettis County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Pettis County, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also handle the emotional shock of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Pettis County, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We start working on your case immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Pettis County, MO because of someone else's reckless behavior, learn how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Pettis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus assuming that the adequate safety measures were followed. Pettis County, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a duty to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and will not let up until you recover the full compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Pettis County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Pettis County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, accomplished and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Pettis County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your claim. You can bank on a seasoned and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site the first chance we get. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time of the day or night in order to secure key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are almost always a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Pettis County, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our savvy and expertise to make sure you get it.
• Stand up to resistant Pettis County, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until you get full compensation. If you or a family member has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine what entity needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Pettis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those rules are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Pettis County, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but much less than other transportation industries. A 2011 study by the National Transportation Safety Board found that The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has only 878 personnel responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep pace with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Pettis County, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make certain that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Pettis County, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Pettis County, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your accomplished Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons for your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Pettis County, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently faulty design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Pettis County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they frequently happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Pettis County, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability claims. If you want to file a suit against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is imperative to get in touch with a Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at once after your accident. Do not delay, call the trusted Burger Law bus accident injury lawyers now at (314) 500-HURT.

Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 grants sovereign immunity to government entities and employees except against a government employee who was operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through negligence. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Pettis County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may be responsible for a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were hurt in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most typically see in Pettis County and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Pettis County, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous or they did not conduct sufficient background checks when hiring drivers.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for bus accident injuries and other types of injuries:

• Do I have to Talk to the Insurance Company Before I Talk to a Lawyer?
• How Much to Expect in an Auto Accident Settlement
• What Happens During Litigation?
• Does My Family Have a Wrongful Death Claim?
• Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

What Compensation Can A Bus Accident Attorney in Pettis County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have received a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Pettis County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect a maximum financial recovery for all of the pain and inconvenience your injury has caused and will continue to cause. Missouri Senate Bill 239 defines the damages you can receive as:

• Economic damages, including:
  • Medical costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to determine the exact dollar amount you deserve, accounting for inflation for future lost earning potential or future medical expenses.

• Noneconomic damages, including:
  • pain and suffering
  • mental anguish
  • inconvenience
  • physical impairment
  • disfigurement
  • loss of capacity to enjoy life
  • loss of consortium

However severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded maximum compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Pettis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Pettis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to get you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.