Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Osage Beach, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Osage Beach, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and get the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and getting you a great recovery for your Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is typical to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly perturbing when the liable party refuses to take responsibility for their reckless driving and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, seasoned and knowledgeable Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight on your behalf to maximize your recovery and get you on the journey 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 were killed in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths happen 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 crash can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not find medical attention immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to pursue just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Osage Beach, MO area get great recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case right away, and you do not owe us 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 get in compensation.

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

If a driver acts carelessly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. 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:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Provide aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Osage Beach, 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
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to 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 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 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 becomes a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the recovery you are entitled to. They may be found guilty before the Osage Beach, MO criminal court, but you need talented and committed hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the best possible recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their dangerous actions.

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

While being in any crash is terrifying and can leave you feeling helpless, it can be especially worrisome if the liable person does not respect the rules of the road and flees the crash site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts carelessly and recklessly. The dedicated and knowledgeable Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold selfish drivers accountable and recover for you the compensation you are owed. 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 accident site yourself. You could think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may worry that you are partly 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 treatment. Your chief concern should be your health and safety and the health and safety of everybody else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Osage Beach, MO emergency services to get there and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily injury or death. Even if you do not know the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in proving your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. After being hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Osage Beach, MO law enforcement’s job. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take pictures. 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 a full license plate number, just part of the license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash 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 Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact 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 fresher in your memory immediately following the crash, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Osage Beach, 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 knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including acquiring nearby surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Osage Beach, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and prove exactly how the at-fault 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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to discover the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their careless driving. In those cases, the tenacious and skilled Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you recover 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 are unable to track down 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Osage Beach, MO, there are four criteria that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily 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 Osage Beach, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best chance at receiving great compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and skilled Osage Beach, 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 reimburses you for the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the full recovery that you are owed. When you are harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to a full compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, such as: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of 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 someone you care about in Osage Beach, 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 moral responsibility to remain at an accident site. When someone drives 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 injury 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 Osage Beach, MO, not having proper 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 Osage Beach, 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 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 having your license revoked.

• 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 leave an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving 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 flee an accident site simply because they think they will not be caught. 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 Osage Beach, 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. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, 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 get distracted and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Whatever the reason a driver decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of running outweighed the cons. The Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Osage Beach, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying scenarios. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you recover the money you deserve to put you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Osage Beach, 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 Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Osage Beach, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you immediately. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you great 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.