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Bus Accident Attorney in Willard, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Willard, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured in a disastrous 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 rarely get equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be equally as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Willard, 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 devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you recover 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 fighting for the rights of the injured in Willard and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Our Willard, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy 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, commitment, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Willard, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for extortionate medical costs and also deal with the emotional impact of your injury just because somebody else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Willard, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We begin 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 Willard, MO because of another person's reckless behavior, discover how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Willard, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus supposing that the correct safety arrangements were obeyed. Willard, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they are supposed to obey, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities 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 really heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and will not let up until you win the maximum compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Willard, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Willard, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned 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 complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Willard, 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 standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Willard, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your case. You can bank on a veteran and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 obtain vital evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are almost always other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Willard, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Use our network of Willard, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make certain you recover it.
- Fight back against resistant Willard, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their duty 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 will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.
Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We take control of 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 loved one has been harmed in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 in a safe manner you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Willard, 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 needs to be held accountable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Willard, 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, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
- Driver error. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly those that drive for 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 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 rules 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 obeyed.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, icy roads or Willard, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Willard, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
- Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Defective or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Poor lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Willard, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Willard, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.
Once your experienced Willard, MO bus accident attorney deduces the cause of your wreck, they will be able to establish who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable 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 passengers 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 highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off sleepiness. 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 found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.
Making sure that Willard, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly 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 correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck happened.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to guarantee the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 place the blame on someone else, your Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their behavior.
The Willard or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the amount of people involved and because they often happen in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Willard, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. If you want to file a suit 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 necessary to contact a Willard, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck because of negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Willard, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may bear 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 hurt you. If you were injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Willard, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault 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 Willard 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 responsible, a school district in Willard, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad or they did not perform 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 Willard, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will usually be based on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained wrist that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Willard, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you collect 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 Willard, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you recover the best possible compensation for all of your damages.
Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:
Call Our Willard, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Willard, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless 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 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 evaluation.