Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Maryville, MO

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

When a reckless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is common to feel dismayed and angry. It is especially upsetting when the liable party declines to take responsibility for their actions and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, seasoned and skilled Maryville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight for you to maximize your compensation and get you on the journey to recovery. Call us now 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 is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from a car wreck can be traumatizing and bring about life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases amplify your wounds as you may not receive medical care immediately, and you may not know who to trust or how to secure equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people harmed in hit and run accidents in the Maryville, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case straight away, and we do not collect 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 you may be able to be awarded in compensation.

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

If a driver behaves irresponsibly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving 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 hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Supply aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Maryville, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Remain at the accident site until a police officer tells them differently

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

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 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the compensation you deserve. They may be found guilty in front of the Maryville, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case right 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 sure the at-fault party bears full responsibility for their thoughtless behavior.

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 particularly stressful if the liable driver does not respect the rules and leaves the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts selfishly and irresponsibly. The dedicated and knowledgeable Maryville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and get you the money 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 leave the scene yourself. You might think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be nervous that you are partially at fault. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everyone present should be your principal worry. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Maryville, MO emergency services to come 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 causes physical harm or a fatality. Even if you are unsure of the scope of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will help a lot in winning your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Maryville, MO law enforcement’s task. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely learn what you can about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photos. 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 pictures as you are able to. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, a partial number 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 to the crash site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Maryville, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Maryville, 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 experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including obtaining nearby surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of Maryville, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and prove exactly how the negligible 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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to find the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their reckless actions. In those cases, the determined and knowledgeable Maryville, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect maximum 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 find 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 a recovery from your own insurance company. In Maryville, MO, there are four criteria that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you are unable to 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 Maryville, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and talented Maryville, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been resisting 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 located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the full compensation that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve a full recovery for all of damages you have sustained as a result of the accident, including: your medical expenses, 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 deserve. If you or a family member in Maryville, 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 moral responsibility to remain at a crash 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 irresponsible actions 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 Maryville, 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 Maryville, 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 pulled over 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 having your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to leave a crash 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, tired or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave an accident site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to happen between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Maryville, 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 after 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 driving, never get distracted and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of running were greater than the cons. The Maryville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Maryville, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you are awarded the money you are owed to put you on the path to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Maryville, 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 Maryville, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Maryville, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf immediately. We insist that the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you are awarded the best possible compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.