Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Jefferson City, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Jefferson City, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and recover great compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run crash? Call the Jefferson City, 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 getting you a full recovery for your Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is common to feel shocked and indignant. It is particularly upsetting when the at-fault party will not 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 pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The devoted, seasoned and skilled Jefferson City, 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 for you to maximize your recovery and get you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, about 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 takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto accident can be traumatizing and cause life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate your wounds as you may not receive medical attention immediately, and you may not know who to trust or how to secure fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Jefferson City, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

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 collect in compensation.

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

If a motorist drives irresponsibly and injures 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, fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Jefferson City, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes 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 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 these 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 accident becomes fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you are entitled to. They may be found culpable before the Jefferson City, MO criminal court, but you need talented and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to heal. 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 represent you aggressively to make certain the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their harmful 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 helpless, it can be especially nerve wracking if the responsible individual does not respect the rules and leaves the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone does not respect those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The dedicated and skilled Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish drivers responsible and secure 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 crash site yourself. You might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the hassle, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to receive compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your first worry should be your health and safety and the health and safety of anyone else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Jefferson City, MO emergency services to get there and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical injury or death. Even if you are not sure what the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot in making your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Jefferson City, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get valuable 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 photos. 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 possible. 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 is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people in the area may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to corroborate your story. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident attorney 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 noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the collision, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Jefferson City, 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 skilled and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of Jefferson City, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and prove 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 negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their careless behavior. In those cases, the aggressive and expert Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you win full 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 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 a recovery from your own insurance company. In Jefferson City, MO, there are four specifications that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. You received the injuries as a result of 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 Jefferson City, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and skilled Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not give in 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 located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the full recovery that you are owed. When you get hurt because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained because of the accident, such as: 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 insist that you are compensated for every nickel you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Jefferson City, 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 every driver’s legal and ethical duty to remain at the scene of a crash. 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 irresponsible actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Jefferson City, MO, not having adequate 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 Jefferson City, 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 that was impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also carry 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 already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to leave an accident site.

• Distracted driving

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

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave 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 Jefferson City, 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 want to get in trouble. Sometimes, 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never get distracted and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

No matter the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the pros of running were greater than the cons. The Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Jefferson City, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different situations. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you get the money you deserve to put you on the path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Jefferson City, 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 someone you care about sustained injuries in a Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related expenses can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Jefferson City, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you at once. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you collect 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.