Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and get full compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and getting you a full recovery for your Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a loved one, it is common to feel dismayed and indignant. It is especially unnerving when the at-fault party refuses to take responsibility for their reckless driving 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 family member's injuries. The dedicated, veteran and skilled Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and intentionally 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 journey to recovery. 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 crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths happen in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto crash can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify that trauma as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people hurt in hit and run accidents in the Fort Leonard Wood, MO area get the best possible recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO

If a motorist acts irresponsibly 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 motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Fort Leonard Wood, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the crash 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 misdemeanor offense and carries a maximum penalty of one year in a local jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene turns into 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the compensation you are entitled to. They may be found responsible before the Fort Leonard Wood, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will insist that you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the at-fault party bears complete responsibility for their harmful actions.

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 especially nerve wracking if the liable driver does not respect the rules and flees the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone disregards those rules and behaves carelessly and dangerously. The committed and accomplished Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and secure you the compensation 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 insignificant 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 collect compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your foremost thought 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily harm or death. Even if you are unsure of the degree of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Fort Leonard Wood, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get necessary information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photos 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 finding the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene might have had a better view than you, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them later.
  • Write down everything you can. 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 accident, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Fort Leonard Wood, 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 talented and expert hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Fort Leonard Wood, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Listed here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other types 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 at-fault driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their irresponsible driving. In those cases, the aggressive and expert Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you get the best possible 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 aat-fault 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Fort Leonard Wood, MO, there are four criteria that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred due to 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO insurance company takes the place of 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 persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and expert Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not relent until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly 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 full compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve a full compensation for all of damages you have received as a result of 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 entitled to. If you or a someone you care about in Fort Leonard Wood, 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 every driver’s legal and social obligation to remain at an accident site. 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 thoughtless 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO, not having the right insurance can lead to having 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 Fort Leonard Wood, 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 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 lead to fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely 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 paying full attention to the road is thoughtless 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 flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. 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 Fort Leonard Wood, 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 what other drivers do behind the wheel, 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 behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver decides to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the benefits of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Fort Leonard Wood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Fort Leonard Wood, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. 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 path to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Fort Leonard Wood, 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 a family member sustained injuries in a Fort Leonard Wood, 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 you heal. When you hire our team of Fort Leonard Wood, 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 insist on getting you full 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.