Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Cape Girardeau, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Cape Girardeau, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and recover the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the Cape Girardeau, 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 getting you a great recovery for your Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is typical to feel appalled and indignant. It is particularly distressing when the reckless party will not 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, experienced and knowledgeable Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and get you on the journey to healing. Call us now 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, just 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 takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car wreck can be traumatizing and produce life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify that trauma as you may not find medical care right away, and you may not know who to trust or how to seek equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of accomplished and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Cape Girardeau, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case right away, and we do not collect any payment until we win your suit.

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

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

If a motorist drives irresponsibly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. 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:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Cape Girardeau, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, 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 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 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 becomes a Class D Felony if the crash becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is encouraging 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 culpable before the Cape Girardeau, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and committed hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and do not give up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to ensure the negligent party bears full responsibility for their careless behavior.

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 particularly nerve wracking if the liable individual does not respect the rules and flees the accident site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and startling when someone breaks those rules and drives thoughtlessly and recklessly. The dedicated and knowledgeable Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless 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 flee the scene yourself. You might think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder for you to receive compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everyone involved should be your chief worry. If you or somebody else is harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Cape Girardeau, MO emergency services to arrive and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or results in physical injury or a fatality. Even if you are unsure of the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. After being hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Cape Girardeau, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely note what you can about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can get hold of your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Cape Girardeau, 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 pictures, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the collision, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Cape Girardeau, 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 straight away. Our savvy and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance video and contacting witnesses for complete depositions. We work with a network of Cape Girardeau, 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 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 track down the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their dangerous actions. In those cases, the tenacious and expert Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers need to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate 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 pursue compensation from your own insurance company. In Cape Girardeau, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. The injuries happened 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 Cape Girardeau, MO insurance company takes the place of the negligent 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 chance at receiving the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and savvy Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not relent 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 found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the full compensation that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to the best possible recovery for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, including: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every nickel you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Cape Girardeau, 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 any driver’s legal and moral responsibility to remain at a crash site. 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 harm their dangerous actions caused. There are many reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Cape Girardeau, 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 are also never removed from a Cape Girardeau, MO driver’s record.

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

  This also carries stiff 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 carry fines, jail time, and getting 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 flee an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, tired or just have their head in the clouds.

• 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 midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Cape Girardeau, 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 once they have calmed down.

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

Whatever the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Cape Girardeau, 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 Cape Girardeau, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you get the money you deserve to put you on the journey to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Cape Girardeau, 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 loved one experienced injuries in a Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Cape Girardeau, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side right away. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you the best possible compensation to help 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.