Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Eureka, MO

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

When a careless driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is common to feel appalled and outraged. It is particularly perturbing when the liable party refuses to take responsibility for their behavior and drives away from 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, seasoned and talented Eureka, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and purposefully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and put you on the journey 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 is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, just 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 occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate your wounds as you may not find medical attention at once, and you may be unsure of who to turn to or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people injured in hit and run accidents in the Eureka, MO area get the best possible 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 hurt 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 Eureka, MO

If a driver acts negligently and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable 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, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Eureka, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, an accident report needs 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 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the compensation you are entitled to. They may be found culpable before the Eureka, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and committed hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case right away 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 negligent party accepts full responsibility for their harmful actions.

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

While being in any accident is terrifying and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly stressful if the liable party does not respect the rules and leaves the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone breaks those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The committed and knowledgeable Eureka, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable 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 scene yourself. You could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be nervous that you are partially responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your principal concern should be your health and safety and the health and safety of everybody else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Eureka, MO emergency services to arrive and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical injury 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 help immeasurably in winning 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 hit you. That is Eureka, MO law enforcement’s job. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely learn what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can get hold of your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many photographs as you can. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in finding the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have had a better view than you, or will be able to verify your story. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Eureka, 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, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Eureka, 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 right away. Our skilled and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Eureka, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and show exactly how the at-fault 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 track down the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their irresponsible actions. In those cases, the aggressive and knowledgeable Eureka, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you win full 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 cannot track down the anegligent 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 compensation from your own insurance company. In Eureka, MO, there are four standards that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. The injuries happened as a result 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 Eureka, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best chance at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and savvy Eureka, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back 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 full compensation that you are owed. When you are harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve a full compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to 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 severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are owed. If you or a loved one in Eureka, 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 ethical responsibility to stay at the scene of a crash. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their irresponsible actions 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 Eureka, MO, not having adequate 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 Eureka, 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 caught without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver that was impaired by 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 might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from 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, dozing off or just have their head in the clouds.

• 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 midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Eureka, 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 know what to do. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in after they have calmed down.

While we cannot control how other people drive, we can take some precautions as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are driving, never lose focus and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Whatever the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Eureka, 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 Eureka, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different circumstances. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you get the money you are owed to put you on the journey to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Eureka, 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 Eureka, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related expenses can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Eureka, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you right away. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you recover the best possible compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.