Kansas City Bus Accident Lawyer

We like to think of buses as dependable city buses and large, lumbering yellow school buses that are as inherently safe as they feel. Sadly, around 12,500 bus accidents result in injury every year with 25,000 persons injured.

Victims of bus injuries deserve compensation. Passengers are never at fault for an accident and those who suffer serious injuries from a collision caused by a negligent bus driver shouldn’t be left with the undue burden of expenses.

Bus accident compensation claims in Kansas City can quickly become complicated due to the challenges of determining liability and dealing with city or county-run busing agencies. Call the Kansas City bus accident lawyers at Miller & Hine Attorneys at Law today so we can evaluate your Missouri bus accident case with a free consultation.

Why Choose Us as Your Bus Accident Attorneys in Kansas City?

The scene of a bus accident is terrifying and chaotic, especially when there are multiple injured victims. The trauma may continue long after the accident date without an experienced attorney protecting your rights and best interests. The Kansas City personal injury lawyers at Miller & Hine bring significant advantages, including the following:

• Free confidential case evaluations and contingency-based payment so we only get paid if and when we settle or win your case
• Wise legal counsel and experienced representation from a Kansas City law firm with over five decades of combined experience
• Diligent investigation with access to resources and expert witnesses to help prove your case
• The team approach of a results-oriented law firm as well as the devoted attention of an attorney dedicated to your case

We get results for our clients by getting to know each client and personally witnessing the impacts of their injuries on their lives and families so we can make a more compelling case for their compensation. We have the resources and reputation of a large city law firm while offering the personalized strategies and attention of a small-town, family-oriented legal team.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents in Kansas City

The most common cause of bus accidents is driver error. The careless mistake or reckless action may be on the part of the bus driver or the driver of a second vehicle involved in a collision. The most common causes of bus accidents in Missouri include the following:

• Tailgating, resulting in rear-end collisions
• Unsafe lane changes
• Speeding
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Distracted driving
• Intoxicated driving
• Aggressive driving
• Defective bus parts
• Road hazards

Although driver negligence is the most common cause of bus accidents, some accidents occur due to negligent actions on the part of another driver or entity. It often takes a thorough investigation to determine the liable party after a bus accident.

What Injuries Are Common in Bus Accidents?

Passengers are vulnerable to injuries in bus accidents because they typically aren’t seatbelted. The compartmental seat design of a bus provides some protection, but passengers may experience substantial trauma, especially in rollover accidents. Common injuries in bus accidents include the following:

• Fractures
• Head injuries/traumatic brain injuries
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Wrist injuries
• Knee injuries
• Thoracic injuries with internal organ damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Burns
• Smoke inhalation
• Spinal cord injuries
• Bruises, lacerations, and abrasions

Even relatively minor injuries can quickly cause financial hardship for victims and their families if they require medical care and a few days of missed work. Other bus accident injuries result in disability and extensive damages including diminished future earning capacity due to disability.

Who Is Liable for a Bus Accident?

Even if the bus driver is clearly at fault due to carelessness, recklessness, or wrongdoing such as intoxicated driving or road rage, they may not be the liable party or could share liability with another party—often the city or county agency that hired them. Common liable parties in bus accidents include the following:

• The bus driver
• The busing company
• A third-party contractor
• A third-party driver
• A negligent bus maintenance company
• The manufacturer of a defective bus part
• A negligent road planning agency
• A negligent road maintenance agency

Proving liability requires a thorough investigation of the accident to determine the cause and document evidence of the at-fault party’s liability. Proving liability requires demonstrating with the evidence that the at-fault party owed a duty of care to the passengers on the bus and others on the roadway to take reasonable measures to avoid causing injuries, they breached this duty, and their breach of duty caused an accident with injuries. Then an attorney must present evidence that the injury victim suffered damages from the injury.

What Compensation Can I Recover for Damages After Bus Accident Injuries?

Injuries in bus accidents range from mild and inconvenient, to life-altering or catastrophic. Depending on the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, a successful bus accident claim in Kansas City could recover compensation for damages such as any or all of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses related to the injury
• Lost wages
• Future income loss
• Lowered future earning capacity due to disability
• Pain and suffering
• Other non-economic damages that apply, like disfigurement, diminished life quality, loss of limb, or PTSD

Non-economic damages like pain and suffering are intangible and more difficult to quantify, but recovering compensation for these damages helps victims feel a sense of justice for their pain and also substantially adds to the amount they recover in their claim.

What to Do After a Bus Accident in Kansas City

If the accident caused serious, life-threatening injury you may not be able to do anything except wait for help to arrive. However, if you can use a cell phone or ask someone else to use your phone’s camera, you can quickly document the scene of the accident to capture the positions of any vehicles involved, damage to the bus, and anything that contributed to the accident, like an obscured stop sign. Then, go directly to the hospital for a thorough examination straight from the accident scene and obtain a detailed medical report of your injuries.

Call the Kansas City Bus Accident Lawyers at Miller & Hine

You shouldn’t have to take on the legal hassles of a bus accident claim at the same time that you’re recovering from the physical and emotional trauma of the accident. Call the accident lawyers in Kansas City at Miller & Hine today so we can hear the details of your case and then take swift action on the best way forward to maximize your compensation.