Hit and Run Accident Attorneys St. Clair County, MO

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

When a thoughtless driver willfully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is normal to feel shocked and furious. It is particularly perturbing when the liable party will not take responsibility for their actions 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 family member's injuries. The committed, veteran and talented St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and knowingly irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and get you on the journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

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, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths transpire in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident takes place every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto wreck can be traumatizing and produce life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify your wounds as you may not get medical care right away, and you may not know who to turn to or how to pursue equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the St. Clair County, MO area get maximum recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your suit.

If you have been hurt in a hit and run accident, check out our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to collect in compensation.

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys: Understanding the Laws in St. Clair County, MO

If somebody acts negligently and hurts you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Stay at the crash site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the St. Clair County, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

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 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the crash becomes fatal and results in 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 money you are owed. They may be found responsible before the St. Clair County, MO criminal court, but you need expert and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and work tenaciously until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make sure the negligent party accepts complete responsibility for their reckless 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 vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the liable person breaks the law and flees the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disappointing and startling when someone disregards those rules and drives thoughtlessly and recklessly. The dedicated and accomplished St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers responsible and recover for 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 leave the crash site yourself. You may think the damages are too small to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be nervous that you are in some measure responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more difficult for you to recover compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. The health and safety of everyone present should be your primary thought. If you or somebody else is injured, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for St. Clair County, MO emergency services to arrive and render aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily injury or a fatality. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot in winning your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who is responsible. That is St. Clair County, MO law enforcement’s task. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more 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 discern what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can use your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many pictures as possible. 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 incredibly helpful in discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, police officer or St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to reach out to 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 remember immediately following the collision, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your St. Clair 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 straight away. Our skilled and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of St. Clair County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the crash and demonstrate exactly how the negligible 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

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 thoughtless driving. In those cases, the tenacious and expert St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you win full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate the aliable driver after a hit and run accident, you and your hit and run accident attorneys will need to use this part of your policy to pursue a recovery from your own insurance company. In St. Clair County, MO, there are four specifications that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received physical injuries
2. The injuries happened due to 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 St. Clair County, MO insurance company takes the place of the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like other 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 seasoned and talented St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been challenging insurance companies and other bullies for decades, 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 located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you are harmed because another driver broke the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, for example: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are entitled to. If you or a family member in St. Clair 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 social obligation to stay at the scene of a crash. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their irresponsible behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In St. Clair County, 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 also remain on a St. Clair County, 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, depending on whether you have been discovered 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 lead to 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 flee the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is thoughtless 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 leave 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 happen between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the St. Clair County, 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. often, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do behind the wheel, we can take some precautions 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.

Whatever the reason a driver chooses to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the pros of running outweighed the cons. The St. Clair County, 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 St. Clair County, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We demand 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 consultation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The St. Clair 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.

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

If you or a family member experienced injuries in a St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. 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 St. Clair County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf 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 complimentary case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.