Bus Accident Attorney in Westport, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Westport, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a destructive bus accident, take the first step in 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 wrecks, even though the can frequently be equally as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Westport, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Westport, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Westport and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Many Westport, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Westport, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also handle the emotional scars of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Westport, 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 get started on your claim right away, 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 Westport, MO because of someone else's negligent behavior, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Westport, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus under the assumption that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Westport, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they have a duty to follow, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Westport, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you receive the full 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 defraud injured Westport, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Westport, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Westport, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Westport, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate an accomplished and skilled 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 acquire important evidence for your case.
• 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 passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Westport, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Utilize our network of Westport, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to make certain you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Westport, 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 claim. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take the fight to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a calamitous 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 role to play in running a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Westport, 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 determine who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice 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 happened.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to an egregious offense such as the driver being 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, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy 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 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 mandatory or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, slick roads or Westport, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus passengers. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is negligent. 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 bodies, but not close to 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Westport, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Westport, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Westport, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your accomplished Westport, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain 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 obeying its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed 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 owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Westport, MO buses are adequately 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 failing to provide routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Westport, 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 took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and immediately issue recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently defective 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 may try to place the blame on someone else, your Westport, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Westport or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people who could be injured and because they often take place in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Westport, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you seek 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 contact a Westport, 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 a liable or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Westport, 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 safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may be responsible for 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 harm you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Westport, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm 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 accident in Westport 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 Westport, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous or they did not carry out 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 Westport, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Westport, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Westport, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded 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 costs, 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Westport, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get 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 Westport, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Westport, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary consultation.