Bus Accident Attorney in Poplar Bluff, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Poplar Bluff, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a catastrophic bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Poplar Bluff, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your loved ones. Your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Poplar Bluff and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their careless actions. Our Poplar Bluff, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Poplar Bluff, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional toll of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We start working on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Poplar Bluff, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless actions, find out how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety arrangements were obeyed. Poplar Bluff, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they are supposed to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most tragic cases can even cause wrongful death. The Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you get the full compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Poplar Bluff, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those Poplar Bluff, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, experienced and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Poplar Bluff, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your claim. You can anticipate an experienced and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time during the day or night in order to secure key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, as well as important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Poplar Bluff, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on 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 receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Poplar Bluff, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by 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 crashes had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not mandatory or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, slick roads or Poplar Bluff, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus commuters. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is true in your 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 inspections of over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some Poplar Bluff, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Poplar Bluff, MO road, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Poplar Bluff, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of insisting that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. 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 found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Poplar Bluff, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident could be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to shift the blame to someone else, your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Poplar Bluff or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Poplar Bluff, 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 suits. If you want to file a suit against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is crucial to contact a Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Poplar Bluff, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may share a portion 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 harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most commonly see in Poplar Bluff 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 Poplar Bluff, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous or they did not carry out proper 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 Poplar Bluff, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Poplar Bluff, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you are awarded a great 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We utilize 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 Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you collect the best possible compensation for all of your damages.

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

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

Call Our Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the immense pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.