Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Lafayette County, MO

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

When a dangerous driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a loved one, it is common to feel appalled and angry. It is especially perturbing when the at-fault party will not take responsibility for their behavior and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The devoted, veteran and skilled Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and put you on the path to healing. Call us right away 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 crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those who died, almost 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 happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from an auto wreck can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not receive medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those injured in hit and run accidents in the Lafayette County, MO area get the best possible recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

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

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

If somebody acts irresponsibly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. 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 directed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Lafayette County, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes injury or death.

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 turns into 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 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 becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the money you deserve. They may be found responsible in front of the Lafayette County, MO criminal court, but you need expert and committed hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and do not give up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make sure the at-fault party bears complete responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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

While being in any accident is frightening and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be particularly stressful if the liable individual breaks the rules and flees the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts carelessly and irresponsibly. The committed and skilled Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and recover for 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 flee the scene yourself. You might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder for you to collect compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your chief 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 hurt, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Lafayette County, MO emergency services to get there and give 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 leads to physical injury or death. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will go a long way in making your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are 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 they are. That is Lafayette County, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely discern what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photos as you can. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, a partial 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 pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site might 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, police officer or Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately after the accident, and those details will still be incredibly useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Lafayette County, 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 immediately. Our talented and accomplished 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 depositions. We work with a network of Lafayette County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the crash and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to track down the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their dangerous driving. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you collect 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 find the aat-fault 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 pursue a recovery from your own insurance company. In Lafayette County, MO, there are four specifications that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. You sustained 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 Lafayette County, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best odds at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging 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 certainly 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 make certain you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, for instance: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a family member in Lafayette County, 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 stay at an accident site. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a lot of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Lafayette County, MO, not having appropriate insurance can result in you having 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 Lafayette County, MO driver’s record.

• The driver does not have a driver’s license, or has a suspended license

  This also carries severe 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 under the influence of drugs

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

• 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 run away from a crash 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, 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 frequent between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Lafayette County, 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. often, 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, never lose focus 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 fleeing were greater than the cons. The Lafayette County, 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 Lafayette County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up 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 complimentary case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Lafayette County, 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 experienced injuries in a Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Lafayette County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side right away. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive maximum compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.