Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Nixa, MO

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

When a reckless driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is typical to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially unnerving when the negligent party refuses 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 loved one’s injuries. The devoted, experienced and talented Nixa, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and get you on the journey to recovery. Call us straight away 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 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 take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from a car accident can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases exacerbate that trauma as you may not find medical attention right away, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to seek fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Nixa, MO area get full recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much your damages may be worth.

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

If someone else behaves irresponsibly and hurts 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 a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Nixa, 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
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, 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 a local 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found responsible in the Nixa, MO criminal court, but you need talented 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 heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and do not let up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the negligent party accepts complete responsibility for their reckless 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 helpless, it can be especially worrisome if the at fault driver does not respect the rules of the road and flees the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone disregards those rules and drives carelessly and recklessly. The dedicated and skilled Nixa, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish drivers responsible and win 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 may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be nervous that you are partially responsible. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to receive compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody involved should be your first thought. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Nixa, MO emergency services to get there and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily harm or death. Even if you are not sure what the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. After being hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Nixa, MO law enforcement’s task. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will impede you from being able to get necessary information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photos as you are able to. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident 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 Nixa, MO hit and run accident attorney 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, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the accident, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Nixa, 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 immediately. Our skilled and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including getting access to adjacent surveillance video and contacting witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Nixa, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Listed here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other kinds 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 locate the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their thoughtless behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and knowledgeable Nixa, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you get full 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 track down 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 Nixa, MO, there are four standards that are required to 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 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 Nixa, MO insurance company takes the place of the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best chance at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and expert Nixa, 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 over 20 years, and will not relent until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have probably 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 full recovery that you are owed. When you get injured because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, for instance: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a family member in Nixa, 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 any driver’s legal and social responsibility to stay at the scene of a crash. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their dangerous behavior caused. There are a lot of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Nixa, MO, not having the appropriate 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 Nixa, 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, based 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 result in fines, jail time, and revocation of a license.

• 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 leave the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is reckless 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 leave an accident site simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. 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 Nixa, 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 know what to do. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in after 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, never lose focus and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Nixa, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Nixa, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We insist on great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case evaluation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Nixa, 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 Nixa, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Nixa, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We insist that the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you full 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.