Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Crawford County, MO

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

When a dangerous driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is common to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly distressing when the negligent party refuses to take responsibility for their behavior and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The devoted, experienced and skilled Crawford County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and put you on the road 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 crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those who died, nearly 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 stemming from an auto crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases exacerbate your wounds as you may not get medical treatment at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to secure equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Crawford County, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case at once, and we do not collect any payment until we win your case.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, use 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 Crawford County, MO

If a motorist acts recklessly 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 a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Crawford 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 everybody 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 leads to injury or a fatality.

Missouri Statute 577.060 classifies “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 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 was previously found guilty of leaving the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and causes 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 compensation you deserve. They may be found responsible in front of the Crawford County, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like those 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 straight away and do not let up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make sure the at-fault party bears full responsibility for their dangerous behavior.

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

While being in any crash is terrifying and can leave you feeling helpless, it can be particularly worrisome if the negligent driver does not respect the rules and flees the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone disregards those rules and behaves selfishly and recklessly. The committed and accomplished Crawford County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish 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 leave the scene yourself. You may think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be anxious that you are partially responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more difficult for you to collect compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your first 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 injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Crawford County, 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 accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical injury or a fatality. Even if you are not sure what the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Crawford County, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely discern what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, 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 are able to. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, just part of the license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have had a better view than you, or will be able to corroborate your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Crawford County, 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 photographs, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately following the accident, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Crawford 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 straight away. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance video and contacting witnesses for complete depositions. We work with a network of Crawford County, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and show exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other types 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 find the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their careless behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and expert Crawford County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you receive the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers are required to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down 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 pursue a recovery from your own insurance company. In Crawford County, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You received the injuries as a result 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 Crawford County, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the negligent 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 full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and knowledgeable Crawford County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, for instance: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dime you are entitled to. If you or a someone you care about in Crawford 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 moral obligation to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their irresponsible behavior caused. There are many reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Crawford 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 Crawford 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, depending on whether you have been pulled over without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver that was under the influence of drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It probably is not 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 focusing on the road is thoughtless 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 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 likely to happen between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Crawford 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. 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never get distracted and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Whatever 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 Crawford County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Crawford County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you receive the money you deserve to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Crawford 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.

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

If you or someone you care about experienced injuries in a Crawford County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Crawford County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you immediately. We insist that the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you the best possible compensation to aid 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.