A cataclysmic double-decker bus accident rocked Missouri and Illinois last week, killing 25-year-old Aditi Avhad and injuring dozens of people. The bus was heading to Columbia from St. Louis, when it whacked into a highway overpass pillar, flinging passengers around and sending a shockwave of sorrow through the Midwest that’s rippled across the country.
Initial reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and local investigators suggest that driver error was not the cause of the crash. A severe thunderstorm did strike I-55 southbound several hours before the crash. While the harsh weather did not stop rescue workers from carrying out their duty, it did complicate the crash reconstruction work.
According to one of the passengers on the top deck, the accident played out as follows: “all of a sudden, it was felt like the bus ran over something really, really, big.” The disaster led to “absolute panic…people were screaming,” according to the witness, who managed to escape the crash with only a minor scratch on her head.
In the wake of the disaster, consumer safety advocates are calling for more oversight of the low fare bus industry. They cite another mega bus crash which occurred in September 2010, in which four people died near Syracuse, New York. In that case, the driver was hit with homicide charges. (He was acquitted earlier this year.)
A far more disturbing and dramatic event occurred a year later, in May 2011, when a bus flew off of I-95 in New York and led to the deaths of 15 people.
Picking Up the Pieces After a Missouri Or Illinois Bus Accident
The chaos that ensues after even “mundane” auto crashes can be overwhelming, scary, and totally confusing. Not only might you feel disoriented due to the physical and emotional toll of the crash, but you also likely feel “in over your head.” After all, you likely have never had to pursue an auto accident case in Missouri, Illinois, or elsewhere.
The team here at Carey, Danis & Lowe work with you and your family to come up with an appropriate, sound, and ethical strategy to get compensation for your medical costs, the costs of lost productivity, and other damages created by the bus accident. Talk to our team now to get powerful and precise help.
