Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Greene County, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Greene County, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and collect maximum compensation for your damages when you have been hurt in a hit and run crash? Call the Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start working for you and securing for you the best possible recovery for your Greene County, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a loved one, it is common to feel dismayed and angry. It is particularly unnerving when the liable party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and runs away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, veteran and talented Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your compensation and get you on the road to recovery. Call us today 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 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 a car wreck can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not receive medical treatment at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to pursue fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Greene County, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case immediately, and we do not collect any payment until we win your suit.

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

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

If somebody behaves recklessly 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 against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Greene County, 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
• Stay at the scene 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 a fatality.

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 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 was previously found guilty of leaving the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the accident becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting 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 guilty in front of the Greene County, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and committed hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight away and are relentless until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make certain 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 particularly stressful if the at fault party does not respect the rules and leaves the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and acts thoughtlessly and recklessly. The devoted and knowledgeable Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers accountable and recover for 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 accident site yourself. You might think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be nervous that you are partly at fault. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much harder for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your principal 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 injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Greene County, MO emergency services to arrive and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes physical injury or death. Even if you do not know the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Greene County, MO law enforcement’s task. 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 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 photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photos as you are able to. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in locating the driver. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Greene County, MO hit and run accident lawyer 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 photos, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the crash, and those details will still be very useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Greene County, 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 straight away. Our talented 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 full statements. We work with a network of Greene County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Below 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 damages and hold them responsible for their careless actions. In those cases, the aggressive and talented Greene County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you collect maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Greene County, MO, there are four criteria that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You incurred the injuries 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 Greene County, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like other 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 seasoned and talented Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give in until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have certainly 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 deserve. When you get injured because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained 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 demand that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a loved one in Greene County, 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 any driver’s legal and social 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 are more concerned about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their irresponsible actions caused. There are a wide array reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Greene County, MO, not having the right 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 Greene County, 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 pulled over 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 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 giving full attention to the road is careless 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 flee a crash site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more frequent between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Greene County, 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. often, these drivers turn themselves in once 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, 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 opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Greene County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you get the money you deserve 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 Greene County, 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 experienced injuries in a Greene County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Greene County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf straight away. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you are awarded maximum 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.