Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Bethany, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Bethany, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and get full compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run crash? Call the Bethany, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start working for you and winning you a full recovery for your Bethany, MO hit and run accident.

When a reckless driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and injured you or someone you care about, it is common to feel appalled and angry. It is especially upsetting when the reckless party will not 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 reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, seasoned and talented Bethany, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and put you on the road to healing. Call us right 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 accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto wreck can be traumatizing and cause life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not get medical treatment at once, and you may be unsure of who to trust or how to seek equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those harmed in hit and run accidents in the Bethany, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your case.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to collect in compensation.

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

If a driver drives negligently and injures 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, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Bethany, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Furthermore, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or death.

Missouri Statute 577.060 categorizes “leaving the scene of an accident" as a Class A Misdemeanor, which is the most serious type of misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of one year in a local jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes a Class E Felony if any of these 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 was previously found guilty of leaving the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the accident becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is encouraging 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 culpable before the Bethany, MO criminal court, but you need expert and committed hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will demand that you get the full recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we start working on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their harmful actions.

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

While being in any crash is frightening and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly stressful if the responsible individual does not respect the rules and flees the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone breaks those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The devoted and skilled Bethany, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and recover for you the money you deserve. 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 leave the scene yourself. You might think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be afraid that you are partially at fault. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to be awarded compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your principal worry should be your health and safety and the health and safety of anyone else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is hurt, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Bethany, MO emergency services to come and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or results in physical harm or a fatality. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help a lot in winning your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Bethany, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely discern what you can about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get complete 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 determining who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to corroborate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, police officer or Bethany, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them later.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Bethany, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be located, you will need to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT right away. Our skilled and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Bethany, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

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

Hit and Run Cases in Missouri

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to discover the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their thoughtless behavior. In those cases, the determined and expert Bethany, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you are awarded full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down the aat-fault 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Bethany, MO, there are four criteria that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You incurred the injuries as a result of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you are unable to 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 Bethany, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and savvy Bethany, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been resisting 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 certainly been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the full recovery that you deserve. When you are hurt because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve a full recovery for all of damages you have experienced because of the accident, such as: your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every nickel you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Bethany, MO has been harmed 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 obligation to stay at the scene of a crash. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a wide array reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Bethany, MO, not having adequate 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 Bethany, 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 pulled over without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver that was impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to flee a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is thoughtless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off 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 likely to happen between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Bethany, MO streets 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 how other people drive, we can take some precautions as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in poorly lit areas at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never lose focus and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Regardless of the reason a driver decides to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the benefits of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Bethany, 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 Bethany, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing circumstances. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you recover the money you are owed to put you on the path to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Bethany, 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 a loved one experienced injuries in a Bethany, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Bethany, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf immediately. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you collect full compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.