Bus Accident Attorney in Sugar Creek, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Sugar Creek, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents rarely ever get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Sugar Creek, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or your loved ones. Your Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you get the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Sugar Creek and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their negligent actions. Many Sugar Creek, 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, commitment, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Sugar Creek, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury just because somebody else did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Sugar Creek, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We begin working on your case straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

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

Do I Need a Sugar Creek, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus assuming that the appropriate safety arrangements were followed. Sugar Creek, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they are supposed 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 caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case immediately, and will not let up until you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Sugar Creek, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Sugar Creek, 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 compassionate, veteran and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Sugar Creek, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your case. You can bank on an accomplished and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site the first chance we get. 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 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 generally a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and key 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. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Sugar Creek, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our experience and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Sugar Creek, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line 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 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 secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire 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. You owe us 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 devoted 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 operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Sugar Creek, 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 who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Sugar Creek, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents 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 companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of steering them, slick roads or Sugar Creek, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is the 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 over 765,000 motor carriers, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some Sugar Creek, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Sugar Creek, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Sugar Creek, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, 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 driving too many miles in a day. Despite saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Sugar Creek, MO buses are properly 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 carry out routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to confirm the safety of their vehicles and immediately issue recalls if a product is discovered to be defective. 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 try to place the blame on somebody else, your Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Sugar Creek or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the number of people who could be injured and because they frequently take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Sugar Creek, 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 injury liability claims. If you want to make a claim 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 urgent to reach out to a Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney straight 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 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 careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

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

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may shoulder 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 hurt you. If you were injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and veteran Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain 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 crash we most typically see in Sugar Creek 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 at fault, a school district in Sugar Creek, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly bad or they did not perform 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 Sugar Creek, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically be based on the gravity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Sugar Creek, 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 remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you secure 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 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly 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 Sugar Creek, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Sugar Creek, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past two decades to secure you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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.