Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Christian County, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a loved one, it is typical to feel shocked and angry. It is particularly unsettling when the at-fault party will not take responsibility for their negligent driving and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, veteran and skilled Christian County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and willfully 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 journey to recovery. Call us today 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 crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from an auto crash can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound your wounds as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to seek just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Christian County, MO area get the best possible 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 case.

If you have been hurt 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 Christian County, MO

If somebody acts irresponsibly and harms 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, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Christian County, 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
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report must 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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes a Class E Felony if any of the following 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 accident becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the money you are entitled to. They may be found culpable in front of the Christian County, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and committed hit and run accident attorneys like the ones 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 are relentless until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their harmful 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 helpless, it can be particularly worrisome if the at fault driver 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 thoughtlessly and dangerously. The devoted and skilled Christian County, 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 crash site yourself. You might think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be afraid that you are partially at fault. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much harder for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your principal 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 harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Christian County, MO emergency services to arrive and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily harm or death. Even if you are unsure of the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in proving your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Christian County, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get valuable information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely discern what you can about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can use your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many photographs 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 useful in finding the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area may have had a better view than you, or will be able to verify your story. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Christian County, 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 photographs, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Christian County, 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 at once. Our savvy and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including acquiring adjacent surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Christian County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and prove exactly how the negligible 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

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 irresponsible actions. In those cases, the determined and knowledgeable Christian County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you are awarded the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists need to 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 seek compensation from your own insurance company. In Christian County, MO, there are four standards that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. You received the injuries because of 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 Christian County, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best chance at receiving great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and knowledgeable Christian County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been standing up to 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 a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the full recovery that you are entitled to. When you get hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have received because of the accident, including: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Christian County, 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 every driver’s legal and ethical responsibility to stay at a crash site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their reckless actions 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 Christian County, 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 Christian County, 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 giving full attention to the road is reckless 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 flee an accident site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to occur between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Christian County, 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. often, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, 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 driving, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the benefits of running were greater than the cons. The Christian County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and ensure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Christian County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you recover the money you deserve to put you on the path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Christian County, 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 family member sustained injuries in a Christian County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related expenses can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Christian County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We demand the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you maximum 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.