Hit and Run Accident Attorneys De Soto, MO

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

When a careless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is normal to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly distressing when the at-fault party will not take responsibility for their behavior and runs away from 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 family member's injuries. The devoted, seasoned and knowledgeable De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and get you on the road to healing. Call us right away 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 accidents, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those who died, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths take place 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 accident can be traumatizing and bring about life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate your wounds as you may not get medical care right away, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to seek equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of seasoned and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people hurt in hit and run accidents in the De Soto, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

If you have been hurt in a hit and run accident, take a loot at 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 De Soto, MO

If a driver drives carelessly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the De Soto, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report needs to 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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes 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 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 becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the recovery you are owed. They may be found responsible in front of the De Soto, MO criminal court, but you need expert and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will fight on your behalf until you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. 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 careless behavior.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the at fault party disregards the rules of the road and leaves the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and drives thoughtlessly and dangerously. The dedicated and knowledgeable De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers responsible and recover for 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 accident 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 in some measure responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much harder for you to collect compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everybody there should be your primary thought. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for De Soto, MO emergency services to get there and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical harm or death. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in winning your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is De Soto, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely note what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photos as possible. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, a partial number 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 photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to verify your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to reach out to 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 easier to recall immediately following the accident, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your De Soto, MO insurance company. If the driver is never located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT at once. Our savvy and expert hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including getting access to adjacent surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work with a network of De Soto, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and prove exactly how the at-fault 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 locate the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their reckless actions. In those cases, the indefatigable and expert De Soto, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you win 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 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 De Soto, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You incurred the injuries 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 De Soto, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the at-fault 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 odds at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and savvy De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been pushing back against 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 located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the full recovery that you deserve. When you sustain injuries because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve a full compensation for all of damages you have sustained as a result of the accident, including: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dime you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in De Soto, MO has been harmed 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 obligation to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or injury their reckless behavior 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 De Soto, MO, not having proper 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 also remain on a De Soto, 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 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 revocation of a license.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It probably is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to flee the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is reckless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off or are just thinking about something else.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave an accident site simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more probable between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the De Soto, 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. often, 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 areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Whatever the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of fleeing were greater than the cons. The De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in De Soto, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing circumstances. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you collect 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 start working on your case right away.

The De Soto, 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 De Soto, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of De Soto, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you straight away. We insist that the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you maximum compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.