Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Kirksville, MO

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

When a dangerous driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is normal to feel shocked and angry. It is especially perturbing when the liable party declines to take responsibility for their actions and runs away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The devoted, experienced and talented Kirksville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and purposefully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and get you on the road to healing. 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 were killed in hit and run crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, almost 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 takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from a car wreck can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not get medical treatment right away, and you may be unsure of who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Kirksville, MO area get maximum recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, check out our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to get in compensation.

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

If someone else drives recklessly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the scene
• 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 Kirksville, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report must 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 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 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 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 results in somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the compensation you are entitled to. They may be found culpable before the Kirksville, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight away and do not give up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the negligent party bears complete responsibility for their thoughtless 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 helpless, it can be particularly worrisome if the liable driver disregards the rules and flees the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone does not respect those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The dedicated and knowledgeable Kirksville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and get you the money 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 crash site yourself. You may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be afraid that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the scene 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 care. The health and safety of everyone involved should be your number-one thought. If you or somebody else is harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Kirksville, MO emergency services to get there and give 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 harm or death. Even if you are not sure what the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way 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 they are. That is Kirksville, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Going on a wild goose chase 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 make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely note what you are able to about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you are not seriously injured and can get hold of 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, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area might have had a better view than you, or will be able to validate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Kirksville, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact them later.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be easier to remember 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 Kirksville, MO insurance company. If the driver is never located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT straight away. Our talented and veteran hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including obtaining nearby surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for complete depositions. We work with a network of Kirksville, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and show exactly how the negligible 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 discover the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their dangerous behavior. In those cases, the aggressive and expert Kirksville, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect the best possible 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 utilize this part of your policy to make a claim against your own insurance company. In Kirksville, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You received the injuries 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 Kirksville, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like many 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 seasoned and talented Kirksville, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you deserve a full recovery for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, including: your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a someone you care about in Kirksville, MO has been hurt 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 responsibility 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 consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their negligent 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 Kirksville, 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 also remain on a Kirksville, 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 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 might not be surprising that people who already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to flee an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is reckless 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 flee a crash site simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. 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 Kirksville, 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 want to get in trouble. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do behind the wheel, we can take some precautions 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 assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

No matter the reason a driver decides to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Kirksville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Kirksville, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you recover 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 begin working on your case right away.

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