Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Clinton, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Clinton, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and collect the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been hurt in a hit and run crash? Call the Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin working for you and winning you a great recovery for your Clinton, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is normal to feel dismayed and indignant. It is especially perturbing when the negligent 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 pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, accomplished and talented Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and knowingly irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight for you to maximize your compensation and get you on the road to recovery. Call us now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of the fatalities, nearly 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 arising from an auto crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate that trauma as you may not find medical care at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to pursue fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those harmed in hit and run accidents in the Clinton, MO area get maximum recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your claim.

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 collect in compensation.

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

If a motorist behaves carelessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Clinton, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Furthermore, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to 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 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 accident is fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the recovery you are entitled to. They may be found guilty in the Clinton, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will fight on your behalf 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 let up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the negligent party bears complete responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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

While being in any crash is scary and can leave you feeling helpless, it can be particularly worrisome if the liable person breaks the law and leaves the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disappointing and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and behaves thoughtlessly and recklessly. The committed and skilled Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers responsible and secure you the money you deserve. 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 accident site yourself. You may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your primary thought 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 hurt, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Clinton, MO emergency services to come and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily injury or death. Even if you are unsure of the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Clinton, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other person 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 make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can take out your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many photos as possible. Even if you cannot get a full 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 also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • 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 law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Clinton, 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 skilled and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of Clinton, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the crash and demonstrate exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Listed 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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to locate the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their thoughtless actions. In those cases, the tenacious and skilled Clinton, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you receive the best possible 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 cannot track down 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 Clinton, MO, there are four standards that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. The injuries occurred because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 Clinton, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable 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 odds at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and talented Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give in until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down 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 sustain injuries because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to a full compensation for all of damages you have received owing to 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 severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every dime you are owed. If you or a loved one in Clinton, 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 social duty 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 harm their irresponsible behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Clinton, MO, not having the right 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 Clinton, 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 otherwise under the influence of drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also lead to 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 have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to leave a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving full attention to the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, fatigued 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 Clinton, 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 how other people drive, 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 driving, never get distracted and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

No matter the reason a driver decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Clinton, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Clinton, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing circumstances. 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 receive the money you deserve 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 Clinton, 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 sustained injuries in a Clinton, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Clinton, 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 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.