HIGHLAND, Ill. — A personal injury law firm with offices in St. Louis and the Metro East has been hired to represent some of the victims of the Greyhound bus crash that killed three people and injured more than a dozen others.
Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, will file a lawsuit against Greyhound Lines, Inc. on behalf of at least two victims in the crash, according to a statement from the law firm.
"This is an incredibly traumatic event," said Brady McAninch, a partner in the firm. "We need to make sure that these people get better, get the treatement they need, and also get taken care of for any mental anguish they've suffered."
The fatal crash occurred early Wednesday on Interstate 70 when a Greyhound bus carrying passengers from Indianapolis to St. Louis slammed into three commercial vehicles parked on the exit ramp to the Silver Lake Rest Stop near Highland, Illinois.
Three men died in the crash. Fourteen others were injured.
One of the survivors told 5 On Your Side Greyhound representatives offered to give him a $2,500 check just hours after the crash.
McAninch said he's not surprised.
"These insurance companies and these big corporations, the second that an accident occurs or a collision occurs or something happens, they are working immediately to minimize the value of these cases, and that includes trying to settle them for pennies on the dollar," he said. "You can imagine being involved in something that traumatic and being given a couple grand to say, 'Hey, shut up' or 'Hey, don't go get treatment.' That's what they want. They want to prevent that sort of thing from happening."
Greyhound has not responded to 5 On Your Side's email seeking comment.
One of the survivors McAninch is representing is from Nashville, Tennessee, and the other is from Texas. They suffered head and spine injuries, he said.
"Whether it's Greyhound or Walmart or any of these large corporations, sometimes they push their employees too hard," he said. "Sometimes, they don't hire the right people.
"They don't have the right checks and balances in place or the right safety equipment on the vehicles. These are all things that as multi-million, multibillion dollar corporations, they can afford and should. And when they don't or when they cut corners, these things can happen."
McAninch said it's too early to tell whether Greyhound will be the only defendant listed any lawsuit that gets filed.
"It will be a long road, but I assure you we will hold them accountable," he said.
Hipskind & McAninch also said it believes it is crucial to continue shedding light on the crash to raise awareness about road safety and the possible risks involved in public transportation.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that unfolded in the Greyhound bus collision and our team is fully committed to helping seek justice for this incident," John Hipskind, partner at Hipskind and McAninch, said in the statement.
This is a developing story. 5 On Your Side will update information as it is confirmed.
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