Hit and Run Accident Attorneys California, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in California, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and get full compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the California, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law straight away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and getting you a great recovery for your California, MO hit and run accident.

When a reckless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is normal to feel shocked and angry. It is especially upsetting when the at-fault party will not take responsibility for their negligent driving and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, seasoned and knowledgeable California, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and knowingly irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight for you to maximize your compensation and put you on the path to recovery. Call us right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed 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 one in five pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto accident can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not get medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to pursue equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of seasoned and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families harmed in hit and run accidents in the California, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case right away, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your case.

If you have been hurt in a hit and run accident, check out our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to be awarded in compensation.

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

If a motorist behaves negligently and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Supply aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the California, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes injury or death.

Missouri Statute 577.060 classifies “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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions below 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 becomes a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you deserve. They may be found guilty before the California, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and committed hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case straight away and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their thoughtless 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 vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the at fault person disregards the rules and leaves the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone breaks those rules and acts carelessly and recklessly. The committed and skilled California, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible 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 leave the accident site yourself. You might think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be anxious that you are partly at fault. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much harder for you to receive compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everyone involved should be your principal concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for California, MO emergency services to come and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes physical harm or death. Even if you are not sure what the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in proving your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is California, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not seriously injured and can take out your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in locating the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the accident.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or California, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact 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 recall immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your California, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT immediately. Our talented and expert hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of California, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the liable 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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to discover the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their careless actions. In those cases, the indefatigable and knowledgeable California, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you recover the best possible 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 find the aliable 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 California, MO, there are four specifications that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. You sustained the injuries as a result 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 California, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy California, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not relent until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly 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 deserve. When you are harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have received owing to 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 all the money you deserve. If you or a family member in California, 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 every driver’s legal and social obligation to remain at a crash site. When someone runs away from 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 dangerous behavior caused. There are a wide array reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In California, MO, not having appropriate insurance can result in you 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 are also never removed from a California, 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 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 having your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to run away from a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is reckless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, drowsy or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee a crash site 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 California, 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 after they have calmed down.

While we cannot control how other people drive, 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 behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

No matter the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The California, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in California, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you get the money you are owed to put you on the path to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The California, 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 California, 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 recover. When you hire our team of California, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side at once. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you collect full compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.