Hit and Run Accident Attorneys St. Clair, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in St. Clair, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and collect great compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin fighting for you and getting you a full recovery for your St. Clair, MO hit and run accident.

When a reckless driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a loved one, it is typical to feel dismayed and indignant. It is particularly perturbing when the reckless party will not take responsibility for their negligent driving and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, veteran and skilled St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and put you on the journey to recovery. Call us right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, almost 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto accident can be traumatizing and create life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not find medical treatment right away, and you may not know who to trust or how to seek just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people harmed in hit and run accidents in the St. Clair, MO area get maximum recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you have been injured 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 St. Clair, MO

If someone else drives negligently and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, driving away from the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver 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 for directions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the St. Clair, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Furthermore, an accident report must 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 misdemeanor offense 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 following three conditions 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 results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the recovery you are owed. They may be found guilty in the St. Clair, MO criminal court, but you need skilled and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law who will fight on your behalf until you get the best possible recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to make certain the at-fault party bears complete responsibility for their harmful behavior.

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

While being in any accident is frightening and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially worrisome if the liable driver disregards the rules of the road and flees the crash site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and behaves thoughtlessly and dangerously. The devoted and accomplished St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and get you the money you are entitled to. 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 accident site yourself. You may think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much harder for you to collect compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. Your number-one worry should be your health and safety and the health and safety of everybody else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is injured, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for St. Clair, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law dictates that you have to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to 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 help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is St. Clair, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely learn what you are able to about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not seriously injured and can take out your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many pictures as you are able to. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, a partial number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be a great help in locating the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene may have had a better view than you, or will be able to validate your story. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or St. Clair, MO hit and run accident lawyer 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, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be easier to recall immediately following the crash, and those details will still be incredibly useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your St. Clair, 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 skilled and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of St. Clair, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate 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 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 liable driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their irresponsible actions. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled St. Clair, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you win 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 track down the aat-fault 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 St. Clair, MO, there are four criteria that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. The injuries happened because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 St. Clair, 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 have to be convinced to pay. To have the best chance at receiving the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and talented St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not back down until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of money that you are entitled to. When you get injured because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation for all of damages you have experienced owing to the accident, for instance: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a family member in St. Clair, MO has been hurt 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 a crash site. When someone leaves the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their negligent 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 St. Clair, 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 also remain on a St. Clair, 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, based on whether you have been caught 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 having 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 a crash site.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, fatigued or are just daydreaming.

• 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 midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the St. Clair, 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 precautions as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are driving, stay alert at all times and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

No matter the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of running were greater than the cons. The St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in St. Clair, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you are awarded the money you are owed to put you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of St. Clair, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side at once. We demand the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you get 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.