Bus Accident Attorney in Sullivan, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Sullivan, MO. If you or a family member has been injured 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 get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Sullivan, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you recover the maximum compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Sullivan and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Many Sullivan, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Sullivan, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also work through the emotional shock of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Sullivan, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We start working on your case straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Sullivan, MO because of someone else's careless actions, discover how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Sullivan, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced 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 supposing that the correct safety protocols were followed. Sullivan, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they are supposed to follow, but sometimes they neglect those duties 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 truly recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Sullivan, 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 get to work on on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you recover the full compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Sullivan, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they are owed. Those Sullivan, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the passionate, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Sullivan, 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 cases. When you hire our Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and talented 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 acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, as well as key details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Sullivan, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our savvy and expertise to make sure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Sullivan, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your health. 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 to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get maximum compensation. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it requires so many people to operate 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 is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Sullivan, 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 determine who is responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, 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 just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules 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 required or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Sullivan, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is 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 entities, but not nearly as much as 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 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep up with the number of inspections required. Some Sullivan, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few common 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
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Sullivan, MO street, the better your chances of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Sullivan, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your talented Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with getting you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost 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 bus to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Sullivan, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either failing to carry out 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 prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Sullivan, 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 took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to certify the safety of their products and immediately announce recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Sullivan 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 often take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Sullivan, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort cases. 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 essential to contact a Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your injury. There is no time to wait, 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 liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Sullivan, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some cases they each may shoulder a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, 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 skilled and veteran Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most typically see in Sullivan and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus crashes. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Sullivan, 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 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 Sullivan, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Sullivan, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced a devastating 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 Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to compute 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly 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:

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

Call Our Sullivan, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to get you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 complimentary case evaluation.