Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Greenwood, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Greenwood, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and get great compensation for your damages when you have been hurt in a hit and run accident? Call the Greenwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law straight away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and securing for you a full recovery for your Greenwood, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is typical to feel appalled and outraged. It is especially distressing when the at-fault party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, seasoned and skilled Greenwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and put you on the journey 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 those killed, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from a car accident can be traumatizing and produce life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases exacerbate that trauma as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to seek just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Greenwood, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your case.

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

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

If someone else drives carelessly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable 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 driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Provide aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Greenwood, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to 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 misdemeanor offense and carries a maximum penalty of one year in county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes 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 becomes fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found culpable in the Greenwood, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and committed hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will fight for you until you get the full recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their thoughtless 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 responsible driver breaks the rules and leaves the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disappointing and startling when someone disregards those rules and acts carelessly and irresponsibly. The dedicated and talented Greenwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish drivers accountable and get 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 may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be afraid that you are partially responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to receive compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody present should be your chief worry. If you or somebody else is hurt, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Greenwood, MO emergency services to get there 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 a fatality. Even if you are not certain what the scope 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. After being hit by another car 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 Greenwood, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. 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 necessary information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can take out your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photographs as you are able to. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful 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 crash site might have had a better view than you, or will be able to corroborate your story. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Greenwood, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them later.
  • Write down everything you can. 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 following the crash, and those details will still be very useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Greenwood, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be located, you will need to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT straight away. Our talented and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including acquiring nearby surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete depositions. We work with a network of Greenwood, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the crash and show 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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to track down the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their careless actions. In those cases, the tenacious and skilled Greenwood, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you receive maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate the aat-fault driver after a hit and run accident, you and your hit and run accident attorneys will need to utilize this part of your policy to seek compensation from your own insurance company. In Greenwood, MO, there are four criteria that are required to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. The injuries occurred 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 Greenwood, 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 any insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and expert Greenwood, 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 over 20 years, and will not back down until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have probably 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 certain you get the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible compensation for all of damages you have received because of the accident, for instance: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how severe your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Greenwood, 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 duty to stay at an accident site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their careless 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 Greenwood, 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 Greenwood, 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 discovered without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver that was under the influence of drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also carry 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 already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to leave 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, drowsy or are just daydreaming.

• 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 frequent between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Greenwood, 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. often, these drivers turn themselves in after they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, we can take some safety measures as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in poorly lit areas at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never lose focus and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Regardless of the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Greenwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Greenwood, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you get the money you deserve to put you on the path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Greenwood, 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 Greenwood, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related costs can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Greenwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf immediately. We demand the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you are awarded full compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.