Hit and Run Accident Attorneys South St. Louis County, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in South St. Louis County, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and receive great compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run crash? Call the South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start fighting for you and securing for you a great recovery for your South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a loved one, it is normal to feel shocked and indignant. It is particularly upsetting when the reckless party refuses to take responsibility for their negligent driving and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, seasoned and skilled South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and purposefully 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 road to healing. 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 crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, nearly 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 caused by an auto wreck can be traumatizing and create life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate that trauma as you may not get medical care immediately, and you may not know who to turn to or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of veteran and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the South St. Louis County, MO area get full recoveries and know 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 hurt 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 South St. Louis County, MO

If a driver acts irresponsibly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the South St. Louis County, 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
• Remain at the crash site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Additionally, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to injury or a fatality.

Missouri Statute 577.060 classifies “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 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 becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws against 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 South St. Louis County, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we start working 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 accepts complete responsibility for their dangerous 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 worrisome if the at fault person breaks the rules of the road and leaves the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is disheartening and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and acts thoughtlessly and irresponsibly. The devoted and talented South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers accountable and get 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 accident site yourself. You might think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be anxious that you are partly responsible. Leaving the scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to be awarded compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everybody involved should be your number-one worry. If you or somebody else is injured, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for South St. Louis County, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily injury or a fatality. Even if you do not know the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably 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 want to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is South St. Louis County, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely learn what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can use your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many photographs as possible. 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 a great help in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people in the area may have had a better view than you, or will be able to verify your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately following the collision, and those details will still be incredibly useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your South St. Louis County, 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 right away. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining adjacent surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for full depositions. We work alongside a network of South St. Louis County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and demonstrate exactly how the negligible 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 find the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their careless driving. In those cases, the determined and knowledgeable South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you win the best possible 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 are unable to 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 South St. Louis County, MO, there are four standards that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. The injuries happened 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 South St. Louis County, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the negligent party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like other insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best chance at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need experienced and expert South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been pushing back against 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 a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you are injured because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained owing to the accident, for example: your medical costs, 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 dollar you are owed. If you or a loved one in South St. Louis County, 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 any driver’s legal and ethical duty to stay at a crash site. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their dangerous actions 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 South St. Louis County, MO, not having the right 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 also remain on a South St. Louis County, 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 pulled over 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 getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It probably is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from an accident site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on 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 flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more likely to occur between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the South St. Louis County, 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. often, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control how other people drive, we can take some precautions 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 decision.

No matter the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in South St. Louis County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing situations. We demand maximum compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you are awarded the money you are owed to put you on the journey to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can start working on your case right away.

The South St. Louis County, 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 sustained injuries in a South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related bills can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of South St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you immediately. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you 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.