Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Hannibal, MO

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

When a reckless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and injured you or someone you care about, it is normal to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly upsetting when the reckless party refuses to take responsibility for their negligent driving and runs away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, seasoned and skilled Hannibal, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and put you on the road to healing. Call us immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run accidents, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of the fatalities, nearly 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car accident can be traumatizing and create life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify that trauma as you may not receive medical attention right away, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to seek fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Hannibal, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case right away, and we do not charge 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 your damages may be worth.

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

If a driver behaves irresponsibly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. 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 until instructed by police
• Supply aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Hannibal, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with anybody 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 causes 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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes a Class E Felony if any of the following 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 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 comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you are owed. They may be found responsible before the Hannibal, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished 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 do not let up. 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 accepts complete responsibility for their harmful behavior.

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

While being in any accident is terrifying and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be particularly stressful if the liable driver disregards the law and flees the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disheartening and frightening when someone disregards those rules and acts thoughtlessly and recklessly. The devoted and knowledgeable Hannibal, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and recover for you the compensation you deserve. 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 might think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be anxious that you are partially responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder for you to recover compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your primary 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, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Hannibal, 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 causes over $500 worth of damages or causes physical harm 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 a lot in proving your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Hannibal, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will impede you from being able to get necessary information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photographs as you are able to. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly useful in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene may 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, police officer or Hannibal, 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 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 incredibly useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Hannibal, 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 at once. Our talented and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to adjacent surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of Hannibal, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident 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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to track down the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their thoughtless actions. In those cases, the indefatigable and knowledgeable Hannibal, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you receive 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 locate 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 Hannibal, MO, there are four standards that need to 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 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 Hannibal, 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 other insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy Hannibal, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been standing up to insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have likely been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the full recovery that you are owed. When you are injured because another driver broke the rules of the road, you deserve a full recovery for all of damages you have sustained because of the accident, including: your medical bills, 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 family member in Hannibal, 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 ethical duty to stay at a crash site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their careless behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Hannibal, 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 also remain on a Hannibal, 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 caught 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 revocation of a license.

• 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 leave a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is thoughtless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off or are just daydreaming.

• 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 probable between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Hannibal, 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 after they have calmed down.

While we cannot control how other people drive, we can take some safety measures as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting 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 option.

No matter the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the benefits of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Hannibal, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Hannibal, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing circumstances. We insist on maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you receive the money you are owed to put you on the road 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 Hannibal, 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 Hannibal, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Hannibal, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you immediately. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you recover maximum compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.