Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Poplar Bluff, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a family member, it is normal to feel shocked and furious. It is especially perturbing when the negligent party declines 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 reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, experienced and talented Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and get you on the journey to healing. Call us immediately 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 accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, 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 arising from a car crash can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases exacerbate that trauma as you may not get medical attention right away, and you may not know who to turn to or how to pursue just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people harmed in hit and run accidents in the Poplar Bluff, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been injured 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 Poplar Bluff, MO

If somebody drives negligently and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, fleeing 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 accident site
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Poplar Bluff, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Stay 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 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 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the accident becomes fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the compensation you deserve. They may be found culpable in front of the Poplar Bluff, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started 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 certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their dangerous 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 helpless, it can be especially worrisome if the responsible individual disregards the law and flees the crash site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone disregards those rules and acts selfishly and dangerously. The dedicated and talented Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers responsible and get 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 leave the scene yourself. You could think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the location 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 attention. The health and safety of everyone there should be your principal worry. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Poplar Bluff, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily injury or death. Even if you are not certain what the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will go a long way in proving 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 natural reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Poplar Bluff, MO law enforcement’s job. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will impede you from being able to get valuable information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely note what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, 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 pictures as you can. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in discovering who the driver was. It is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the crash site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, police officer or Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them later.
  • Write down everything you can. 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 accident, and those details will still be very helpful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Poplar Bluff, 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 right away. Our savvy and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to adjacent surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for full statements. We work alongside a network of Poplar Bluff, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and demonstrate exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Below 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 find the liable driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their dangerous behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and knowledgeable Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you recover the best possible 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 track down the anegligent 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 Poplar Bluff, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You received physical 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 Poplar Bluff, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any 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 seasoned and knowledgeable Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have certainly 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 ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to. When you get injured because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained as a result of the accident, including: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every dime you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Poplar Bluff, 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 ethical responsibility to remain at a crash site. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their reckless actions caused. There are a wide array reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Poplar Bluff, MO, not having adequate 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 Poplar Bluff, MO driver’s record.

• The driver does not have a driver’s license, or has a suspended license

  This also carries severe 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 otherwise under the influence of drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in 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 run away from an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off 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 likely to happen between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Poplar Bluff, 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, stay alert at all times and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

No matter the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and ensure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Poplar Bluff, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We demand 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 recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Poplar Bluff, 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 loved one experienced injuries in a Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Poplar Bluff, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side right away. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive full compensation to aid 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.