Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Desloge, MO

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

When a negligent driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is common to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially perturbing when the negligent party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The devoted, accomplished and knowledgeable Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your compensation and get you on the path to healing. Call us today 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, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto accident can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not find medical care at once, and you may be unsure of who to trust or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those harmed in hit and run accidents in the Desloge, MO area get maximum recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your case.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much your damages may be worth.

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

If someone else behaves recklessly and injures 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, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist 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 for directions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Desloge, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Stay at the accident site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to injury or a fatality.

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 a local 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 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 causes somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the recovery you are entitled to. They may be found guilty in front of the Desloge, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones 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 start working on your case at once and are relentless until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their harmful 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 helpless, it can be especially worrisome if the negligent individual disregards the rules of the road and flees the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone does not respect those rules and behaves carelessly and irresponsibly. The committed and skilled Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and secure you the compensation 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 crash site yourself. You might think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be anxious that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to be awarded compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everybody there should be your chief concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Desloge, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait 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 injury or death. Even if you do not know the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in proving your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Desloge, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will impede you from being able to get valuable 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 photos. If you are not badly injured and can take out your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photographs as possible. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial license plate 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 photos of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • 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 recall immediately following the crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Desloge, 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 immediately. Our talented and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Desloge, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other types 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 liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their thoughtless driving. In those cases, the determined and expert Desloge, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you receive full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers must 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 use this part of your policy to pursue damages from your own insurance company. In Desloge, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. You incurred the injuries as a result of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you are unable to 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 Desloge, 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 many insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best chance at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not give up the fight until your own insurance company reimburses you for 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 certain you get the maximum amount of money that you are owed. When you sustain injuries because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible recovery for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, for example: 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 penny you deserve. If you or a family member in Desloge, 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 ethical 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 repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a wide array reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Desloge, 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 Desloge, 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 discovered without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise 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 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 reckless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off or are just daydreaming.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave a crash site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to happen between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Desloge, 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 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

No matter the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Desloge, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different circumstances. We demand maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you are awarded the money you deserve to put you on the path to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Desloge, 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 sustained injuries in a Desloge, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Desloge, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side at once. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you are awarded full compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.