Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Macon, MO

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

When a reckless driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a loved one, it is normal to feel shocked and furious. It is especially perturbing when the reckless party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and runs away from 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 loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable Macon, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and purposefully 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 path to healing. Call us right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from an auto wreck can be traumatizing and bring about life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound that trauma as you may not receive medical care at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people injured in hit and run accidents in the Macon, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your claim.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to receive in compensation.

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

If somebody drives recklessly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the accident site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Macon, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Stay at the accident 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 type of misdemeanor 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 following 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 leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the money you are entitled to. They may be found culpable in front of the Macon, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and committed hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the full recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case right away and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their thoughtless behavior.

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

While being in any accident is frightening and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be especially worrisome if the liable person disregards the law and leaves the scene. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone does not respect those rules and drives carelessly and irresponsibly. The committed and accomplished Macon, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers responsible and win 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 scene yourself. You could think the damages are too small to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be afraid that you are partially responsible. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to get compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everybody present should be your chief worry. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Macon, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that causes over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical injury or death. Even if you are not sure what the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot in proving your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Macon, MO law enforcement’s task. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further 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 discern what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can take out your phone before the car vanishes from sight, 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 incredibly useful in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the accident.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to confirm your story. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Macon, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photos, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately after the collision, and those details will still be incredibly useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Macon, 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 at once. Our skilled and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including acquiring adjacent surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Macon, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene 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 kinds 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 find the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their thoughtless driving. In those cases, the determined and knowledgeable Macon, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect 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 locate 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Macon, MO, there are four specifications that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. You received the injuries because 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 Macon, 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 other insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and knowledgeable Macon, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been standing up to insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give in until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have likely been paying into their policies for years.

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 are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result 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 dime you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Macon, 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 responsibility to remain at an accident site. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a wide array reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Macon, MO, not having the right 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 Macon, 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 result in 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 already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to leave the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving full attention to the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off or just have their head in the clouds.

• 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 midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Macon, 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. often, 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 driving, never lose focus and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Whatever the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Macon, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make sure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Macon, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing situations. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you get the money you deserve to put you on the path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Macon, 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 loved one sustained injuries in a Macon, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Macon, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side immediately. We demand the liable 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 free case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.