Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Overland, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Overland, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and receive maximum compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the Overland, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start working for you and getting you a great recovery for your Overland, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is common to feel dismayed and outraged. It is especially unnerving when the at-fault party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, seasoned and talented Overland, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and purposefully 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 recovery. 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 is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, about 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 transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car wreck can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not receive medical treatment right away, and you may be unsure of who to trust or how to collect just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the Overland, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case immediately, and we do not charge any payment until we win your suit.

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 Overland, MO

If a motorist drives recklessly and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Overland, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or a fatality.

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 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 becomes a Class D Felony if the crash becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the recovery you deserve. They may be found responsible in front of the Overland, MO criminal court, but you need expert 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 make you whole again. When you hire us, we start working on your case straight away and do not give up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their reckless behavior.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the negligent party does not respect the rules and leaves the accident site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and startling when someone does not respect those rules and behaves thoughtlessly and dangerously. The dedicated and accomplished Overland, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers responsible and get 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 flee the scene yourself. You could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be nervous that you are partially responsible. Leaving the location of a crash 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. Your chief thought 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 injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Overland, MO emergency services to get there and give aid.
• DO NOT wait 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 death. Even if you are not sure what the extent 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 car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Overland, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get necessary information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely discern what you are able to about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can get hold of your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photos as you are able to. 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 incredibly useful in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site might have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Overland, MO hit and run accident lawyer 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 pictures, anything you noticed 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 Overland, 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 savvy and expert hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for full statements. We work with a network of Overland, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and show exactly how the at-fault party caused your injuries.

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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to track down the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their careless driving. In those cases, the aggressive and skilled Overland, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you win maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot locate 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 seek compensation from your own insurance company. In Overland, 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 sustained the injuries as a result of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you are unable to 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 Overland, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and skilled Overland, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, 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 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 sustain injuries because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, such as: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dollar you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Overland, 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 every driver’s legal and social responsibility to stay at the scene of a crash. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their negligent actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Overland, 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 also remain on a Overland, 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 discovered without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise 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 probably is not surprising that people who already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to flee the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is reckless 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 leave 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 Overland, 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. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in after 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 areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are driving, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the pros of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Overland, 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 Overland, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different circumstances. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you receive the money you deserve to put you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Overland, 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 experienced injuries in a Overland, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and anxious. Injuries and their related expenses can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Overland, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side straight away. We demand the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you recover maximum compensation to help 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.