Three people died and 26 were injured last week when a church bus full of young campers and adult counselors crashed just minutes from the church parking lot where parents were waiting to take their children home. The bus driver said the vehicle’s brakes failed as the bus sped down the freeway ramp, crashing into a retaining wall and overturning.

The fatal crash occurred in Indianapolis but is a horrific reminder of how much worse things could have been when a St. Charles, MO church bus carrying 24 members of First Baptist Church recently crashed into a tree on a wet, winding road in Georgia en route to a church camp. Seventeen of the 24 St. Louis-area church bus passengers were taken to the hospital. One child and three adults suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. Two of the adults required surgery.

For many St. Louis children, attending church camp is a much anticipated summer event. When parents wave goodbye as their children board the church bus, they expect their children to return home safe and sound. No one expects a week at church camp to turn tragic. But every summer children and adults are injured or killed in roadway accidents involving church buses.

When church bus accidents result in injuries, Hoffman & Gelfman’s experienced St. Louis personal injury lawyers will fight to ensure that you are fully compensated for your losses. When fatalities occur, family members may have recourse to file a St. Louis wrongful death suit.