Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Oak Grove, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Oak Grove, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and recover the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been hurt in a hit and run accident? Call the Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and getting you a great recovery for your Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is typical to feel dismayed and angry. It is especially unsettling when the reckless party declines to take responsibility for their actions and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, experienced and knowledgeable Oak Grove, 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 on your behalf to maximize your compensation and put you on the road 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 were killed in hit and run crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto accident can be traumatizing and create life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify that trauma as you may not receive medical treatment immediately, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to collect equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Oak Grove, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been hurt 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 Oak Grove, MO

If someone else drives irresponsibly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Oak Grove, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the scene 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 categorizes “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 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 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 results in somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found culpable before the Oak Grove, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight 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 certain the negligent party bears full responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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

While being in any accident is terrifying and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly stressful if the at fault driver breaks the law and flees the crash site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone disregards those rules and acts thoughtlessly and recklessly. The dedicated and accomplished Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable 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 leave the scene yourself. You may think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody there should be your foremost concern. If you or somebody else is harmed, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Oak Grove, 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 crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to physical injury or a fatality. Even if you do not know the degree of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Oak Grove, MO law enforcement’s task. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely note what you can about the at-fault 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 an entire license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people in the area may have had a better view than you, or will be able to verify your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the accident, and those details will still be incredibly useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Oak Grove, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be 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 help you gather evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of Oak Grove, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and demonstrate exactly how the liable 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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to find the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their reckless driving. In those cases, the aggressive and expert Oak Grove, 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, drivers are required to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate the aliable 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 Oak Grove, MO, there are four specifications that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. You incurred the injuries 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 Oak Grove, MO insurance company takes the place of the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like other insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and skilled Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been pushing back against insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not give in until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have probably been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you are injured because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have received because of the accident, including: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every dime you are entitled to. If you or a loved one in Oak Grove, 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 moral obligation to stay at an accident site. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the consequences for themselves than any damage or injury 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 Oak Grove, 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 also remain on a Oak Grove, 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, based 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 carry fines, jail time, and revocation of a license.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to flee a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is thoughtless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, fatigued or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more frequent between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Oak Grove, 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 know what to do. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in once 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, 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 chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Oak Grove, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We demand maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you get the money you are owed to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Oak Grove, 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 experienced injuries in a Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related expenses can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Oak Grove, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf immediately. We insist that the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you get 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.