Hit and Run Accident Attorneys St. Joseph, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in St. Joseph, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and receive the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run accident? Call the St. Joseph, 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 getting you a great recovery for your St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident.

When a careless driver purposefully breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is normal to feel dismayed and angry. It is particularly distressing when the at-fault party declines to take responsibility for their behavior and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, accomplished and skilled St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you comprehend the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and put you on the path to recovery. Call us now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run crashes, 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 happen in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by a car accident can be traumatizing and bring about life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases magnify that trauma as you may not receive medical care immediately, and you may not know who to trust or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of seasoned and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people injured in hit and run accidents in the St. Joseph, MO area get great recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

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

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

If a motorist drives recklessly 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 a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the crash site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the St. Joseph, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Trade 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 has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes injury or death.

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 these 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws discouraging hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the reckless driver will not get you the money you are owed. They may be found responsible in the St. Joseph, MO criminal court, but you need talented and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the maximum recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we get started 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 negligent party bears full responsibility for their reckless behavior.

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

While being in any crash is frightening and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be particularly worrisome if the liable driver breaks the law and flees the accident site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone disregards those rules and behaves selfishly and irresponsibly. The devoted and talented St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers accountable and win 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 flee the accident site yourself. You could 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 scene of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to get compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everybody there should be your number-one concern. If you or somebody else is injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for St. Joseph, MO emergency services to get there and give aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or results in physical harm or a fatality. Even if you are not sure what the degree of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will go a long way in proving your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is St. Joseph, MO law enforcement’s responsibility. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely find out what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photographs as possible. Even if you cannot get an entire 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 finding the driver. It also helps to take photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the crash site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to verify your version of events. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to get in touch with them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you noticed about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the accident, and those details will still be of great help to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your St. Joseph, 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 straight away. Our skilled and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of St. Joseph, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and demonstrate exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Listed 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 injuries and hold them responsible for their dangerous actions. In those cases, the determined and talented St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure 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 cannot find 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In St. Joseph, 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 are unable to 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. Joseph, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best chance at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been pushing back against insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, 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 years.

Whether the at fault driver is located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make certain you get the full recovery that you deserve. When you get hurt because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you are entitled to the best possible recovery for all of damages you have experienced because of the accident, including: your medical bills, 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 all the money you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in St. Joseph, 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 every driver’s legal and ethical responsibility to stay at a crash site. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their dangerous actions caused. There are a lot of reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In St. Joseph, 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. Joseph, 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 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 lead to 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 already fear an interaction with law enforcement would risk breaking the law again to leave the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not giving full attention to 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 leave an accident site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more frequent between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the St. Joseph, 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 want to get in trouble. 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 safety measures as both drivers and pedestrians. Try to avoid walking in areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never get distracted and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Whatever the reason a driver opts to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presupposed the pros of running were greater than the cons. The St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in St. Joseph, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We insist on the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not stop fighting for you until you are awarded the money you deserve to put you on the journey to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary case review and so we can start working on your case right away.

The St. Joseph, 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 sustained injuries in a St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of St. Joseph, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We insist that 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 case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.