Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Gladstone, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is common to feel dismayed and furious. It is especially distressing when the negligent party will not take responsibility for their actions 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 devoted, veteran and knowledgeable Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and put you on the road to recovery. 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, 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 happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by a car accident can be traumatizing and produce life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not get medical treatment right away, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to collect just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Gladstone, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case right away, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your suit.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, use 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 Gladstone, MO

If somebody behaves negligently and hurts 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 a crime. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Gladstone, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them differently

Furthermore, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes 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 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 crash becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the compensation you are entitled to. They may be found responsible in the Gladstone, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and committed hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started 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 fight tirelessly to make certain the negligent party bears complete responsibility for their careless behavior.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the at fault person does not respect the law and flees the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts carelessly and recklessly. The committed and accomplished Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers accountable 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 flee the scene yourself. You could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may worry that you are partly at fault. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your principal concern 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 harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Gladstone, MO emergency services to come and render aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any accident that leads to 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 at that moment, having a police report will go a long way 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 typical reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Gladstone, MO law enforcement’s task. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. 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, just part of the license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people in the area might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to corroborate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • 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 crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Gladstone, 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 assist in collecting evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance video and contacting witnesses for full statements. We work with a network of Gladstone, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and demonstrate exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Listed here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other categories 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 damages and hold them responsible for their reckless behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and knowledgeable Gladstone, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you get the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot locate 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Gladstone, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. The injuries happened due to 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 Gladstone, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like any insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best chance at receiving the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and knowledgeable Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been standing up to insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give up the fight 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 found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the full recovery that you deserve. When you sustain injuries because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, for instance: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Gladstone, 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 any driver’s legal and moral obligation to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless behavior caused. There are many reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Gladstone, MO, not having adequate 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 Gladstone, 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 impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also lead to 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 already fear an interaction with law enforcement 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 reckless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, drowsy or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more frequent between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Gladstone, 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. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, we can take some precautions as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, stay alert at all times and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of running were greater than the cons. The Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and ensure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Gladstone, 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 let up until you recover the money you deserve to put you on the journey 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 Gladstone, 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 loved one sustained injuries in a Gladstone, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Gladstone, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you at once. We insist that the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you collect maximum compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.