Bus Accident Attorney in Smithville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Smithville, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a destructive 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 accidents, even though the can frequently be similarly hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Smithville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you collect the full compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Smithville and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless behavior. Many Smithville, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Smithville, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also deal with the emotional shock of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Smithville, MO bus accident, get in touch with the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We get started on your claim at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Smithville, MO because of somebody else's reckless behavior, find out how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Smithville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus supposing that the correct safety arrangements were followed. Smithville, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they are supposed to obey, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 really heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even result in wrongful death. The Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you get the full compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Smithville, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Smithville, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – 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.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Smithville, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Smithville, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your claim. You can expect an experienced and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 important evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are generally a lot of 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 key 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. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Smithville, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of Smithville, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Smithville, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility 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 will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We handle 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 are fully compensated. If you or a family member has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Smithville, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every kind of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not enforced or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of steering them, slick roads or Smithville, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus passengers. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Smithville, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Smithville, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Smithville, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your experienced Smithville, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with winning you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating when the accident took place, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Smithville, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Smithville, 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 crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 somebody else, your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Smithville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they generally take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Smithville, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. 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 necessary to call a Smithville, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 a liable or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck because of negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Smithville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board 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 certain that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may bear 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 skilled and accomplished Smithville, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Smithville 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 at fault, a school district in Smithville, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor or they did not perform adequate 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 Smithville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically depend on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Smithville, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain 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 costs, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 Smithville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover full 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 Smithville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to get you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 free consultation.