Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Lee's Summit, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Lee's Summit, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and receive full compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Lee's Summit, 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 securing for you the best possible recovery for your Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident.

When a thoughtless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is common to feel dismayed and outraged. It is especially perturbing when the at-fault party refuses to take responsibility for their negligent driving and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The dedicated, veteran and skilled Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and put 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 died in hit and run accidents, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of the fatalities, 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 happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from a car crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not get medical care right away, and you may not know who to trust or how to seek equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of accomplished and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people hurt in hit and run accidents in the Lee's Summit, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case straight away, and we do not collect any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, use 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 Lee's Summit, MO

If a motorist behaves carelessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Lee's Summit, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in 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 a local 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 accident is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the money you are entitled to. They may be found culpable before the Lee's Summit, MO criminal court, but you need talented and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case straight away and work tenaciously until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the at-fault party accepts complete responsibility for their dangerous actions.

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

While being in any crash is scary and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially worrisome if the negligent driver breaks the rules of the road and flees the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone breaks those rules and drives carelessly and irresponsibly. The committed and accomplished Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and get 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 accident site yourself. You could think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be afraid that you are partially at fault. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to collect compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your primary worry 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 harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Lee's Summit, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily harm or death. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in proving your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Lee's Summit, MO law enforcement’s task. Going on a wild goose chase 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 note what you can about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many pictures as you are able to. Even if you cannot get complete 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 finding the driver. 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 been able to see more than you did, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • 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 fresher in your memory immediately following the crash, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Lee's Summit, MO insurance company. If the driver is never located, you will need to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT right away. Our talented and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Lee's Summit, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the at-fault party caused your injuries.

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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to locate the at-fault driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their careless driving. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you are awarded 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 cannot locate the anegligent 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 pursue damages from your own insurance company. In Lee's Summit, MO, there are four standards that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. You sustained 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 Lee's Summit, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the liable 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 odds at receiving the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and expert Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been pushing back against insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not relent until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have likely been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you are injured because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve a full compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, for example: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Lee's Summit, 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 every driver’s legal and social responsibility to stay at a crash site. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Lee's Summit, 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 Lee's Summit, 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, 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 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 flee the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, fatigued or are just daydreaming.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee an accident site simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to occur between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Lee's Summit, 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. Occasionally, 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 areas with bad lighting 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 choice.

No matter the reason a driver decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Lee's Summit, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying scenarios. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the path to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Lee's Summit, 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 sustained injuries in a Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related costs can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Lee's Summit, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side immediately. We insist that the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you full 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.