Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Richmond, MO

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

When a negligent driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is common to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly unsettling when the reckless party will not take responsibility for their actions and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, experienced and skilled Richmond, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and consciously irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and put you on the path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, nearly 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths happen in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting 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 that trauma as you may not receive medical care right away, and you may be unsure of who to trust or how to seek fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those harmed in hit and run accidents in the Richmond, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you call us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case straight away, 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 Richmond, MO

If a driver drives negligently and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame 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, 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
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Richmond, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or death.

Missouri Statute 577.060 classifies “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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and causes 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 compensation you deserve. They may be found guilty in the Richmond, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight on your behalf until you get the full recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to ensure the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their thoughtless actions.

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

While being in any crash is scary and can leave you feeling helpless, it can be especially nerve wracking if the at fault driver disregards the rules of the road and leaves the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone disregards those rules and drives selfishly and dangerously. The dedicated and skilled Richmond, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and secure 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 might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are partially at fault. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to be awarded compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody involved should be your first thought. If you or somebody else is harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Richmond, MO emergency services to get there and provide aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or causes physical injury or death. Even if you are unsure of the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in winning your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Richmond, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other motorist 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 make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can take out 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, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Richmond, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photos, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the accident, and those details will still be very useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Richmond, 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 right away. Our talented and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including acquiring adjacent surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of Richmond, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the accident and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Here 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 find the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their irresponsible behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and expert Richmond, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you get maximum compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists need to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot find 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In Richmond, MO, there are four specifications that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You sustained the injuries 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 Richmond, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like many insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and skilled Richmond, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been standing up to 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 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 full recovery that you are entitled to. When you are harmed because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained owing to the accident, for instance: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how grave your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every penny you are owed. If you or a loved one in Richmond, 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 social duty to remain at the scene of an accident. When someone drives 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 reckless actions caused. There are many reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Richmond, MO, not having adequate insurance can lead to 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 Richmond, 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 discovered 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 carry fines, jail time, and revocation of a license.

• 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 paying full attention to the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, fatigued 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 probable between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Richmond, 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 know what to do. Sometimes, 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 take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Whatever the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the benefits of running were greater than the cons. The Richmond, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make certain they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Richmond, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different scenarios. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you collect the money you deserve to put you on the path to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The Richmond, 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 someone you care about experienced injuries in a Richmond, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related bills can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help make you whole again. When you hire our team of Richmond, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side at once. We insist that the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you are awarded the best possible 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.