Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Bowling Green, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Bowling Green, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and collect full compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Bowling Green, 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 Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is typical to feel appalled and angry. It is especially unsettling when the at-fault party declines to take responsibility for their behavior and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, seasoned and skilled Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your compensation and put you on the journey to recovery. Call us immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

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, nearly 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 caused by an auto crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not receive medical attention immediately, and you may be unsure of who to turn to or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people hurt in hit and run accidents in the Bowling Green, MO area get great recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case at once, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your suit.

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

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

If a motorist acts 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, fleeing the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Bowling Green, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the accident site until a police officer tells them differently

Furthermore, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes 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 turns into 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and causes 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 compensation you are entitled to. They may be found guilty in the Bowling Green, MO criminal court, but you need talented and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight for you until you get the best possible recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight away and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the at-fault party accepts complete responsibility for their reckless actions.

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

While being in any accident is terrifying and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the liable person breaks the rules of the road and flees the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone disregards those rules and acts selfishly and dangerously. The dedicated and knowledgeable Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers accountable and recover for 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 flee the crash site yourself. You might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may worry that you are partially 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 care. Your foremost thought 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 Bowling Green, MO emergency services to get there and provide 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 leads to physical harm or death. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot 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 normal reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Bowling Green, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will impede 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 irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly useful in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have had a better view than you, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photos, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the crash, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Bowling Green, MO insurance company. If the driver is never 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 savvy and expert hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including getting access to nearby surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for full statements. We work with a network of Bowling Green, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Below 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 negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their reckless driving. In those cases, the aggressive and expert Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you collect maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists are required to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot locate the anegligent 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 Bowling Green, MO, there are four specifications that need 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 are unable to identify
3. You are legally entitled to collect from the at-fault driver
4. All other limits of applicable policies have been exhausted by payment or settlement

In these cases, your own Bowling Green, MO insurance company takes the place of the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best odds at receiving great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and skilled Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give in until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have likely 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 make certain you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained because of the accident, for instance: your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dollar you are owed. If you or a loved one in Bowling Green, MO has been hurt 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 a crash site. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their reckless 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 Bowling Green, MO, not having the right 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 are also never removed from a Bowling Green, MO driver’s record.

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

  This also carries severe penalties and can be either a Class A misdemeanor or a Class E felony, based on whether you have been caught 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 carry fines, jail time, and revocation of a license.

• 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 paying full attention to the road is careless 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 flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. 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 Bowling Green, 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 know what to do. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in after they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do behind the wheel, we can take some safety measures as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting 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 opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Bowling Green, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make certain they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Bowling Green, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing situations. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you are awarded the money you deserve to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can start working on your case right away.

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