Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Raytown, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Raytown, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and recover full compensation for your damages when you have been hurt in a hit and run accident? Call the Raytown, 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 a full recovery for your Raytown, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is typical to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially perturbing when the reckless party declines to take responsibility for their reckless driving and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, accomplished and talented Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and knowingly 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 path to healing. Call us today 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 accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto wreck can be traumatizing and create life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases exacerbate that trauma as you may not receive medical care right away, and you may not know who to turn to or how to secure equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of seasoned and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Raytown, MO area get the best possible recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, use our personal injury calculator to see how much your damages may be worth.

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

If someone else drives recklessly and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Supply aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Raytown, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Remain at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes 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 becomes a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions listed 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 causes somebody’s death. While it is reassuring 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 culpable in the Raytown, MO criminal court, but you need expert and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the best possible recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case straight away and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make certain the negligent party bears full responsibility for their dangerous behavior.

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

While being in any accident is terrifying and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the negligent person disregards the rules of the road and leaves the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone breaks those rules and drives selfishly and irresponsibly. The committed and skilled Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless 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 flee the crash site yourself. You may think the damages are too small to want to deal with the hassle, or you may worry that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more complicated 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 everyone there should be your first concern. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Raytown, MO emergency services to arrive and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate 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 are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Raytown, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely note what you can about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not seriously injured and can use your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photographs as you are able to. 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 incredibly useful in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to confirm your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • 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 after the collision, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Raytown, MO insurance company. If the driver is never 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 talented and expert hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including acquiring adjacent surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of Raytown, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and show exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Listed 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

In the best case scenarios, police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to track down the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their careless driving. In those cases, the determined and knowledgeable Raytown, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you receive full 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 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 Raytown, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred as a result 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 Raytown, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the responsible 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 odds at receiving the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and talented Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been standing up to 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 a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to. When you are injured because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve 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 severe your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dime you are owed. If you or a loved one in Raytown, 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 duty to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone runs away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or injury their careless actions caused. There are a lot of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Raytown, MO, not having 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 are also never removed from a Raytown, 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 that was impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely is not surprising that people who already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to flee a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not paying full attention to the road is thoughtless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, tired or are just thinking about something else.

• 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 likely to happen between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Raytown, 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 know what to do. Occasionally, 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 behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Raytown, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We demand maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you get the money you deserve to put you on the road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case evaluation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Raytown, 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 Raytown, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related expenses can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Raytown, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you straight away. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you full 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.