Bus Accident Attorney in St. Joseph, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in St. Joseph, MO. If you or a family member has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents hardly ever get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust St. Joseph, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in St. Joseph and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held responsible for their reckless behavior. Many St. Joseph, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help St. Joseph, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical costs and also deal with the emotional scars of your injury just because another person did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a St. Joseph, MO bus accident, call 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 case immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in St. Joseph, MO because of somebody else's careless behavior, discover how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a St. Joseph, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus presuming that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. St. Joseph, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured St. Joseph, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those St. Joseph, 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 empathetic, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to St. Joseph, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your claim. You can expect a seasoned and savvy 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 during the day or night in order to secure vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of St. Joseph, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to make sure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant St. Joseph, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case 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 secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it necessitates so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled St. Joseph, 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 discover what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | St. Joseph, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate 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 rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 required or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of steering them, slippery roads or St. Joseph, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus passengers. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that is true in your 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 over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep pace with the quantity of inspections required. Some St. Joseph, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the St. Joseph, MO road, the better your odds of holding the negligent parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local St. Joseph, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your wreck, they will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely 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 due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that St. Joseph, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident may be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine inspections or failing 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.

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 St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

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

The St. Joseph or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the amount of people involved and because they typically take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the St. Joseph, 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 cases. If you seek 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 necessary to reach out to a St. Joseph, 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 a negligent or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the St. Joseph, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph, 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 conduct 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 St. Joseph, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually be based on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in St. Joseph, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a disastrous 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 St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure 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 capacity

  We use our team of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you are awarded the best possible 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 St. Joseph, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your St. Joseph, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the maximum 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.