Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Hazelwood, MO

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

When a careless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is normal to feel dismayed and outraged. It is especially upsetting when the negligent party will not take responsibility for their actions and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The devoted, seasoned and skilled Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and get you on the path to recovery. Call us straight away 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 accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths happen in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from a car wreck can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not find medical attention immediately, and you may not know who to trust or how to collect equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of seasoned and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people hurt in hit and run accidents in the Hazelwood, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case at once, and we do not charge any payment until we win your claim.

If you have been injured 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 Hazelwood, MO

If a driver drives recklessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

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

Additionally, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to injury or death.

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 turns into 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the crash becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws deterring 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 culpable in front of the Hazelwood, MO criminal court, but you need expert and committed hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and do not let up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the negligent party bears full responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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 especially nerve wracking if the liable person disregards the law and leaves the crash site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disheartening and alarming when someone breaks those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The devoted and talented Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers responsible and secure 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 may think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be anxious that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to be awarded compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everyone present should be your foremost worry. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Hazelwood, MO emergency services to get there and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or results in bodily injury or death. Even if you are not certain what the extent of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will go a long way in proving your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Hazelwood, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely discern what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not seriously injured and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photos as possible. Even if you cannot get a full 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 discovering who the driver was. It is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the accident site might have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, police officer or Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident lawyer 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 photos, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Hazelwood, 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 right away. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Hazelwood, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and show 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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to discover the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their reckless behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you get full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists need to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down 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 seek damages from your own insurance company. In Hazelwood, MO, there are four specifications that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. The injuries happened due to an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 Hazelwood, 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 need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and skilled Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been standing up to insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not relent until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have probably been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the full compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, for example: your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Hazelwood, 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 ethical duty to stay at an accident site. When someone drives 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 reckless 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 Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, 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, based on whether you have been pulled over without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise under the influence of 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 likely is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to leave an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, tired or are just thinking about something else.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee an accident site simply because they think they will not be caught. 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 Hazelwood, 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. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in once 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 behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Whatever the reason a driver decides 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 Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Hazelwood, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Hazelwood, 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 someone you care about experienced injuries in a Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related costs can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Hazelwood, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you right away. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive the best possible 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.