Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Florissant, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Florissant, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and get full compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the Florissant, 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 securing for you a full recovery for your Florissant, MO hit and run accident.

When a thoughtless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is common to feel dismayed and indignant. It is especially perturbing when the liable party will not take responsibility for their negligent driving and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The dedicated, veteran and skilled Florissant, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your compensation and put you on the road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, almost 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 transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto wreck can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not find medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to secure fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those injured in hit and run accidents in the Florissant, MO area get full recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case straight away, and we do not collect any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to be awarded in compensation.

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

If a motorist acts negligently and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Florissant, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with everybody 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 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 type of misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of one year in county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene turns into a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions below 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 crash is fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you deserve. They may be found culpable in front of the Florissant, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and committed hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case immediately and do not give up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party bears full responsibility for their reckless actions.

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

While being in any crash is terrifying and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the negligent driver breaks the rules of the road and leaves the crash site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and acts thoughtlessly and recklessly. The committed and talented Florissant, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless 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 scene yourself. You may think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may worry that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much more difficult for you to be awarded compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your chief worry 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, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Florissant, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily harm or death. Even if you do not know the scope of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. After being hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Florissant, MO law enforcement’s job. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely learn what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many photos as possible. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Florissant, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Florissant, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT immediately. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of Florissant, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and demonstrate exactly how the liable 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 locate the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their reckless actions. In those cases, the tenacious and expert Florissant, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you recover maximum 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 find 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 seek damages from your own insurance company. In Florissant, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You sustained 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 Florissant, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and talented Florissant, 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 give in 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 tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to. When you are hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to a full recovery for all of damages you have received because of the accident, for example: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every nickel you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Florissant, 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 duty to stay at a crash site. When someone drives 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 injury their careless actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Florissant, MO, not having 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 Florissant, 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 discovered 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 run away from the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving full attention to 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 leave an accident 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 Florissant, 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 know what to do. 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 precautions 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 take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses 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 Florissant, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make sure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Florissant, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We insist on great 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 road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case evaluation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Florissant, 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 a loved one sustained injuries in a Florissant, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Florissant, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you at once. We insist that the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive the best possible compensation to help 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.