Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Jackson, MO

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

When a careless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a loved one, it is normal to feel appalled and outraged. It is especially upsetting when the reckless party refuses to take responsibility for their negligent driving and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The devoted, experienced and knowledgeable Jackson, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your compensation and get you on the path to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto crash can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not get medical attention immediately, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families harmed in hit and run accidents in the Jackson, MO area get the best possible recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case straight 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, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to collect in compensation.

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

If someone else acts irresponsibly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the accident site
• 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 Jackson, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Stay at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or death.

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 turns into 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 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 reckless driver will not get you the recovery you are entitled to. They may be found guilty before the Jackson, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight on your behalf until you get the best possible recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case right away and are relentless until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party accepts complete responsibility for their dangerous behavior.

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 especially stressful if the liable driver does not respect the rules of the road and leaves the crash site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and alarming when someone disregards those rules and behaves selfishly and dangerously. The devoted and accomplished Jackson, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish drivers accountable and get you the money 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 crash site yourself. You may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are partly at fault. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to get compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everyone there should be your number-one worry. If you or somebody else is harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Jackson, MO emergency services to arrive and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or causes physical harm or a fatality. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in proving your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another auto 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 Jackson, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will impede you from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not badly injured and can get hold of your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photographs as you can. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial license plate 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 pictures 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 story. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Jackson, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the accident, and those details will still be incredibly useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Jackson, 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 immediately. Our savvy and veteran hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Jackson, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene 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 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 find the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their thoughtless actions. In those cases, the determined and skilled Jackson, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you recover 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 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Jackson, MO, there are four specifications that are required to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred due to an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 Jackson, 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 need convincing before they pay you. To have the best odds at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and expert Jackson, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not relent until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have likely been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you sustain injuries because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained because of the accident, for instance: your medical bills, 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 are owed. If you or a family member in Jackson, 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 obligation to remain at a crash site. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their thoughtless behavior 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 Jackson, MO, not having proper 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 Jackson, 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 discovered without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from an accident site.

• 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, fatigued 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 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 Jackson, 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 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, stay alert at all times and never take for granted 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 presumed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Jackson, 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 Jackson, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing situations. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you get the money you are owed to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Jackson, 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 Jackson, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Jackson, 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 collect full compensation to aid 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.