Bus Accident Attorney in Washington, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Washington, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be equally as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Washington, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the best possible compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Washington and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held responsible for their careless actions. Our Washington, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Washington, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical bills and also work through the emotional impact of your injury only because somebody else did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Washington, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.

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

Do I Need a Washington, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus under the impression that that the appropriate safety measures were obeyed. Washington, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you get the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Washington, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Washington, 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 empathetic, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Washington, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Washington, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can expect an experienced and knowledgeable 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 of the day or night in order to acquire key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always many people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Washington, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Use our network of Washington, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to ensure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Washington, 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 avoid their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take the fight 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 win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been injured in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Washington, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every category of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who is liable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that only 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 accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those rules are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, slippery roads or Washington, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. 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 a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some Washington, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Washington, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Washington, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not correctly repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Washington, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off drowsiness. 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 stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Washington, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained 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 neglecting to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to guarantee the safety of their products and swiftly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 might try to place the blame on someone else, your Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Washington or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they often occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Washington, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies 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 crucial to reach out to a Washington, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Washington, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous 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 devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases 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 hurt you. If you were hurt in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Washington, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are responsible 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 Washington 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 Washington, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially poor 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 Washington, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Washington, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received 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 Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure a maximum 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 utilize our network of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 Washington, 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 Washington, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Washington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to secure you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.