Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Bonne Terre, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Bonne Terre, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and get the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start fighting for you and securing for you the best possible recovery for your Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is typical to feel dismayed and furious. It is particularly unnerving when the reckless party will not take responsibility for their behavior and drives away from 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 skilled Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and put you on the road to recovery. Call us straight away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires 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 exacerbate your wounds as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Bonne Terre, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case immediately, and we do not charge any payment until we win your case.

If you have been hurt 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 Bonne Terre, MO

If someone else behaves carelessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the crash site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Bonne Terre, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Remain at the accident site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report needs 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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions listed 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 crash becomes fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the compensation you are owed. They may be found guilty in the Bonne Terre, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case at once and are relentless until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make certain the at-fault party bears full responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling helpless, it can be especially stressful if the at fault party does not respect the rules and flees the crash site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disheartening and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and behaves selfishly and recklessly. The dedicated and accomplished Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and get you the money you are owed. 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 could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much harder for you to be awarded compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your principal concern 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 harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Bonne Terre, MO emergency services to arrive and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or causes physical injury or a fatality. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in proving your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Bonne Terre, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial number 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 to the crash site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to corroborate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately after the accident, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Bonne Terre, 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 straight away. Our savvy and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining nearby surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work with a network of Bonne Terre, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and demonstrate exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Listed here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other types 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 track down the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their reckless driving. In those cases, the determined and skilled Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect full 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 find the aat-fault driver after a hit and run accident, you and your hit and run accident attorneys will need to utilize this part of your policy to make a claim against your own insurance company. In Bonne Terre, MO, there are four specifications that are required to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. The injuries happened due to 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 Bonne Terre, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the at-fault 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 opportunity to receive great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and skilled Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not back down 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 identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have received as a result 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 serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dollar you deserve. If you or a loved one in Bonne Terre, 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 any driver’s legal and moral responsibility 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 concerned about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their negligent behavior caused. There are a lot of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Bonne Terre, MO, not having adequate insurance can lead to having 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 Bonne Terre, 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, depending 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 revocation of a license.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It probably is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to flee the scene of an accident.

• 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, fatigued or are just thinking about something else.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave an accident site simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. 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 Bonne Terre, 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. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in after 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 areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are driving, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

No matter the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of running outweighed the cons. The Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Bonne Terre, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the journey to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Bonne Terre, 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.

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

If you or a family member sustained injuries in a Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Bonne Terre, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf at once. We insist that the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you maximum compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.