Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Osage County, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a loved one, it is common to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially distressing when the at-fault party refuses to take responsibility for their behavior and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, veteran and skilled Osage County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and put you on the journey to healing. Call us immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from a car accident can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not find medical treatment at once, and you may be unsure of who to turn to or how to pursue just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of accomplished and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Osage County, MO area get full recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case straight away, and we do not charge 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 Osage County, MO

If a motorist acts irresponsibly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Osage County, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to 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 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 encouraging that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the money you are owed. They may be found responsible before the Osage County, MO criminal court, but you need talented and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will demand that you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case right away and are relentless until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their thoughtless 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 particularly nerve wracking if the negligent individual does not respect the rules and leaves the accident site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone does not respect those rules and drives selfishly and dangerously. The devoted and knowledgeable Osage County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers accountable and recover for you the money 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 leave the scene yourself. You may think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the location 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 attention. Your number-one concern should be your health and safety and the health and safety of anyone else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is hurt, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Osage County, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily injury or death. Even if you do not know 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. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Osage County, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will impede you from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely note what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take pictures. 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 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 a great help in locating the driver. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Osage County, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you noticed about 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 Osage County, 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 at once. Our talented and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Osage County, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Below 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 discover the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their dangerous behavior. In those cases, the aggressive and knowledgeable Osage County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you get maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers need to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down the aat-fault 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 County, MO, there are four criteria that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 Osage County, MO insurance company takes the place of the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and knowledgeable Osage County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been resisting 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 likely been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you get hurt because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced because of the accident, including: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how grave your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for all the money you are owed. If you or a family member in Osage County, 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 the scene of a crash. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their careless actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Osage County, MO, not having adequate 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 County, 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, depending on whether you have been caught without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver that was 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 flee 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, drowsy or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee a crash 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 County, 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 want to get in trouble. often, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control how other people drive, we can take some precautions as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

No matter the reason a driver chooses to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Osage County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Osage County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different circumstances. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you receive 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 get started on your case right away.

The Osage County, 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.

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

If you or a family member sustained injuries in a Osage County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Osage County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you straight away. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you get maximum compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.