Bus Accident Attorney in Riverside, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Riverside, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a disastrous 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 almost never receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be equally as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Riverside, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the maximum compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Riverside and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Riverside, MO families have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable 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, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Riverside, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional impact of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Riverside, 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 review. We get started on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Riverside, MO because of someone else's negligent behavior, discover how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the correct safety arrangements were followed. Riverside, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you receive the full compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Riverside, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they are owed. Those Riverside, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Riverside, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Riverside, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your case. You can expect an experienced and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are usually many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of winning your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security 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 maintenance was performed on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Riverside, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Utilize our network of Riverside, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Riverside, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your injuries. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We handle 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 a family member has been injured in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Riverside, 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 find out what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially the ones that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those rules are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not enforced or complied with.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of steering them, slick roads or Riverside, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 motor carriers, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections required. Some Riverside, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Riverside, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Riverside, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Riverside, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to determine who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not 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 because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Riverside, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Riverside, 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 an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and swiftly announce recalls if a product is found to be defective. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 try to place the blame on somebody else, your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Riverside or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Riverside, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury claims. If you want to make a claim 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 essential to contact a Riverside, MO bus accident attorney right away after your injury. 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 an at-fault or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Riverside, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may shoulder a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and experienced Riverside, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault 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 Riverside and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus accidents. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in Riverside, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly poor or they did not conduct 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 Riverside, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually be based on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have received a sprained wrist that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Riverside, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic 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 Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you collect a fair 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We use our team of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you are entitled to, 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Riverside, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect 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 Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to win you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 evaluation.