Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Pleasant Hill, MO

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

When a negligent driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is typical to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially unnerving when the negligent party refuses to take responsibility for their behavior and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, veteran and skilled Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and get 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 died in hit and run crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, nearly 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five 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 repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases amplify your wounds as you may not receive medical treatment immediately, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to secure equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Pleasant Hill, MO area get maximum 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 you do not owe us any payment until we win your case.

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 Pleasant Hill, MO

If a motorist behaves negligently and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the crash site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Pleasant Hill, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report has to 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 three conditions below 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 accident is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the recovery you are entitled to. They may be found responsible before the Pleasant Hill, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will fight for you until you get the full recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the at-fault party bears full responsibility for their dangerous behavior.

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

While being in any crash is terrifying and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be especially nerve wracking if the responsible individual breaks the rules of the road and flees the crash site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disheartening and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts selfishly and irresponsibly. The committed and knowledgeable Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers accountable 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 small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be anxious that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to receive compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody present should be your foremost worry. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Pleasant Hill, MO emergency services to get there and provide 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 a fatality. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are right away, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning 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 typical reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is Pleasant Hill, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other driver not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, a partial number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in locating the driver. It is also useful to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the scene might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to confirm your story. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorney 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 remember immediately following the accident, and those details will still be very useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Pleasant Hill, 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 straight away. Our talented and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining nearby surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Pleasant Hill, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other kinds 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 track down the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their thoughtless actions. In those cases, the aggressive and talented Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you recover full 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 are unable to 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 seek compensation from your own insurance company. In Pleasant Hill, MO, there are four specifications that need to 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 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 Pleasant Hill, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and knowledgeable Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been pushing back against insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not relent until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have probably 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 are hurt because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to the best possible recovery for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, for example: your medical expenses, 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 entitled to. If you or a loved one in Pleasant Hill, 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 duty to remain at a crash site. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their irresponsible behavior caused. There are many reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Pleasant Hill, 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 Pleasant Hill, 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 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 might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to leave the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving full attention to the road is thoughtless 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 the scene of an accident simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more probable between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Pleasant Hill, 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 how other people drive, 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 behind the wheel, never get distracted and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Regardless of the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of running were greater than the cons. The Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Pleasant Hill, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We insist on full 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 path to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Pleasant Hill, 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 experienced injuries in a Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related expenses can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Pleasant Hill, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you at once. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you recover great compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.