Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Drexel, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is normal to feel dismayed and angry. It is particularly perturbing when the at-fault party refuses to 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 pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, seasoned and knowledgeable Drexel, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and knowingly irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and put you on the road to recovery. Call us immediately 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, nearly 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car crash can be traumatizing and bring about life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to collect equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Drexel, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

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 Drexel, MO

If somebody behaves carelessly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, driving away from 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
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Drexel, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Trade 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 needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or death.

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 becomes a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions listed 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the accident becomes fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found culpable before the Drexel, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will insist that you get the best possible recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case right away and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their dangerous behavior.

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

While being in any crash is scary and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the negligent person does not respect the rules and flees the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disheartening and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and acts thoughtlessly and dangerously. The committed and knowledgeable Drexel, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and win you the money you are owed. 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 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 a crash will make it much more difficult for you to be awarded compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your foremost 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, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Drexel, 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 crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily harm or a fatality. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. After being hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Drexel, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely note what you are able to about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can get hold of your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photographs as you can. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene might have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Drexel, 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 pictures, 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 Drexel, 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 experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including getting access to nearby surveillance video and contacting witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of Drexel, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Below 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 find the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their dangerous behavior. In those cases, the determined and talented Drexel, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you win 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 locate 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Drexel, MO, there are four criteria that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. The injuries happened 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 Drexel, MO insurance company takes the place of the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like any insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and expert Drexel, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been resisting 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 likely been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you get injured because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, including: your medical expenses, 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 all the money you are owed. If you or a family member in Drexel, 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 every driver’s legal and social responsibility to stay at a crash site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their reckless 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 Drexel, MO, not having the appropriate 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 are also never removed from a Drexel, 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 pulled over 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 result in fines, jail time, and having your license revoked.

• 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 leave an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, tired 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 probable between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Drexel, 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. Occasionally, 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 presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of running outweighed the cons. The Drexel, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Drexel, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different situations. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you are awarded the money you are owed to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Drexel, 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 someone you care about sustained injuries in a Drexel, 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 heal. When you hire our team of Drexel, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side straight away. We insist that the at-fault 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 free case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.