Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Liberty, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Liberty, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and receive great compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin working for you and winning you the best possible recovery for your Liberty, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is typical to feel appalled and indignant. It is particularly unsettling when the negligent party declines to take responsibility for their actions and leaves 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 committed, experienced and talented Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and purposefully 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 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 is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, nearly 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths happen in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car wreck can be traumatizing and cause life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not get medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to seek fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people harmed in hit and run accidents in the Liberty, MO area get maximum recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case straight away, and we do not charge any payment 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 you may be able to get in compensation.

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

If a driver behaves recklessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Liberty, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

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 misdemeanor offense and carries a maximum penalty of one year in county 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 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 becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you are owed. They may be found responsible before the Liberty, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the full recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight away and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their reckless 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 helpless, it can be especially nerve wracking if the responsible individual breaks the rules and leaves the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disheartening and alarming when someone disregards those rules and drives carelessly and recklessly. The dedicated and knowledgeable Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers responsible and secure you the compensation 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 crash site yourself. You could think the damages are too small to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be anxious that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much harder for you to receive compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everybody there should be your first concern. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Liberty, MO emergency services to arrive and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any crash that causes over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily harm or a fatality. Even if you do not know the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will go a long way in winning your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Liberty, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will impede you from being able to get valuable information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photos as you can. 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 discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the crash.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your story. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to reach out to them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, 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 very helpful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Liberty, 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 straight away. Our savvy and veteran hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Liberty, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and show exactly how the at-fault party caused your injuries.

Below 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 discover the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their irresponsible actions. In those cases, the indefatigable and knowledgeable Liberty, 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 cannot 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 seek compensation from your own insurance company. In Liberty, MO, there are four criteria that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained 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 owed compensation from the at-fault driver
4. All other limits of applicable policies have been exhausted by payment or settlement

In these cases, your own Liberty, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the responsible 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 opportunity to receive great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and skilled Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down 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 tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the full compensation that you deserve. When you sustain injuries because another driver broke the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible compensation for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, including: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every nickel you are owed. If you or a loved one in Liberty, 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 any driver’s legal and moral duty to remain at the scene of an accident. When someone drives 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 injury their thoughtless behavior caused. There are many reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Liberty, MO, not having the right 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 Liberty, 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 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 probably is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from the scene of an accident.

• 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 are just thinking about something else.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to happen between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Liberty, 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. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, 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 assumed the pros of running outweighed the cons. The Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Liberty, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We demand maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you collect the money you deserve to put you on the journey to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Liberty, 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 Liberty, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related expenses can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Liberty, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side straight away. We demand the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you the best possible 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.