Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Ashland, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Ashland, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and collect maximum compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law straight away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin working for you and securing for you a great recovery for your Ashland, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is common to feel appalled and angry. It is especially upsetting when the at-fault party declines to take responsibility for their actions and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, accomplished and talented Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and get you on the path to recovery. Call us straight away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of the fatalities, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from an auto accident can be traumatizing and cause life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate your wounds as you may not receive medical treatment immediately, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Ashland, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, use our personal injury calculator to see how much your damages may be worth.

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys: Understanding the Laws in Ashland, MO

If a driver behaves irresponsibly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the crash site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Ashland, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or a fatality.

Missouri Statute 577.060 classifies “leaving the scene of an accident" as a Class A Misdemeanor, which is the most serious misdemeanor offense and carries a maximum penalty of one year in a local jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene turns into a Class E Felony if any of the following three conditions are met:

1. Physical injury was caused by another party;
2. Over $1,000 in damages was caused to another party’s property; or
3. The defendant has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the accident becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found responsible before the Ashland, MO criminal court, but you need expert and committed hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the best possible recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case at once and work tenaciously until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party bears complete responsibility for their careless actions.

Dos and Do Nots After Being in a Hit and Run Accident

While being in any accident is frightening and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the responsible party breaks the law and leaves the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone disregards those rules and acts carelessly and irresponsibly. The devoted and skilled Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and recover for you the money you are entitled to. It is important to know what to do and what not to do directly following your accident, so you can increase your odds of getting the best possible compensation:

• DO NOT flee the crash site yourself. You might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are partly at fault. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder for you to collect compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your foremost concern should be your health and safety and the health and safety of everybody else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Ashland, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or results in physical injury or death. Even if you are unsure of the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Ashland, MO law enforcement’s task. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely note what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many photographs as you can. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, just part of the license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in finding the driver. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the crash.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the accident site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Ashland, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately following the crash, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Ashland, MO insurance company. If the driver is never located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT straight away. Our skilled and expert hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including acquiring nearby surveillance video and contacting witnesses for full statements. We work with a network of Ashland, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and demonstrate exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other categories of car accidents:

Hit and Run Cases in Missouri

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to locate the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their careless driving. In those cases, the aggressive and talented Ashland, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you get the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate the anegligent driver after a hit and run accident, you and your hit and run accident attorneys will need to use this part of your policy to seek a recovery from your own insurance company. In Ashland, MO, there are four specifications that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. You incurred the injuries because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot identify
3. You are legally owed compensation from the at-fault driver
4. All other limits of applicable policies have been exhausted by payment or settlement

In these cases, your own Ashland, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like any insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best odds at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and knowledgeable Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not relent until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have probably been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you get injured because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible recovery for all of damages you have received because of the accident, such as: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a loved one in Ashland, MO has been injured in a hit and run accident, call Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online.

Causes of Hit and Run Accidents

It is every driver’s legal and social duty to remain at an accident site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the consequences for themselves than any damage or injury their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Ashland, MO, not having the appropriate insurance can cause you to have your license suspended for up to a year, paying a $400 reinstatement fee, a $500 fine and/or up to 15 days in jail. "No insurance" tickets also remain on a Ashland, MO driver’s record.

• The driver does not have a driver’s license, or has a suspended license

  This also carries crushing penalties and can be either a Class A misdemeanor or a Class E felony, based on whether you have been discovered without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise under the influence of drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also lead to fines, jail time, and having your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is reckless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, tired or are just daydreaming.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave the scene of an accident simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more probable between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Ashland, MO roads or sidewalks.

• A panicked driver

  Sometimes the driver has a clean record but simply leaves the accident because they are afraid and do not want to get in trouble. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, we can take some safety measures as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, stay alert at all times and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Regardless of the reason a driver decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Ashland, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We insist on full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you are awarded the money you deserve to put you on the journey to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Ashland, MO lawyers of Burger Law have the experience and knowledge to help you receive the full recovery you deserve after any accident or injury caused by someone else leaves you injured. Learn more about our fields of expertise below.

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

If you or someone you care about sustained injuries in a Ashland, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Ashland, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf straight away. We insist that the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you great compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.