Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Old Jamestown, MO

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

When a dangerous driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or someone you care about, it is common to feel shocked and furious. It is especially upsetting when the reckless party will not take responsibility for their actions and flees 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 devoted, experienced and talented Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and knowingly irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight for you to maximize your compensation and put you on the path to healing. Call us right away 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 was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those who died, about 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 takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by a car accident can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases amplify that trauma as you may not find medical attention right away, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Old Jamestown, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case right away, and we do not collect any payment until we win your claim.

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

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

If someone else drives negligently and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Render aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Old Jamestown, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the crash 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 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 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 crash is 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 compensation you are entitled to. They may be found guilty in the Old Jamestown, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case right away and are relentless until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the negligent party bears full 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 vulnerable, it can be especially worrisome if the responsible driver breaks the rules of the road and leaves the accident site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone disregards those rules and behaves selfishly and dangerously. The committed and knowledgeable Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers accountable and secure you the compensation 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 could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may worry that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder 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 involved should be your foremost concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Old Jamestown, MO emergency services to come and render aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily harm or death. Even if you are not sure what the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help a lot in proving your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Old Jamestown, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other person 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 discern what you can about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can get hold of your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photographs as possible. 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 incredibly useful in determining who the driver was. 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 had a better view than you, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to reach out to them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, 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 the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Old Jamestown, 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 right away. Our talented and veteran hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including acquiring adjacent surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of Old Jamestown, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Listed here 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 locate the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their irresponsible behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and expert Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you win maximum 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 find 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 pursue a recovery from your own insurance company. In Old Jamestown, MO, there are four standards that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. You incurred 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 Old Jamestown, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and savvy Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not give up the fight until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have likely been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is found 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 sustain injuries because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, for example: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for all the money you are owed. If you or a family member in Old Jamestown, 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 any driver’s legal and ethical responsibility to remain at the scene of an accident. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried 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 Old Jamestown, MO, not having the appropriate 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 Old Jamestown, 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 discovered 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 carry fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from 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, dozing off or are just thinking about something else.

• 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 probable between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Old Jamestown, 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. Sometimes, 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 safety measures 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 choice.

No matter the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the benefits of running were greater than the cons. The Old Jamestown, 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 Old Jamestown, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you are awarded the money you deserve to put you on the road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Old Jamestown, 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 Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Old Jamestown, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf at once. We demand the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you maximum compensation to help 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.