Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Sugar Creek, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Sugar Creek, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and recover full compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run crash? Call the Sugar Creek, 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 a great recovery for your Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a family member, it is common to feel shocked and indignant. It is especially unsettling when the liable party refuses to take responsibility for their actions and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The committed, seasoned and talented Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you grasp the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and get you on the road to healing. 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 died in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, just about 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 transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by a car accident can be traumatizing and produce life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify your wounds as you may not find medical care at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to secure just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and knowledgeable hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families harmed in hit and run accidents in the Sugar Creek, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case at once, and we do not collect any fees until we win your claim.

If you have been harmed 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 Sugar Creek, MO

If a driver acts recklessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only liable 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 may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Sugar Creek, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report needs 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 misdemeanor offense 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 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 turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you are entitled to. They may be found culpable in front of the Sugar Creek, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to make you whole again. When you hire us, we start working on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the negligent party accepts complete 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 stressful if the responsible person breaks the rules and leaves the scene. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone disregards those rules and acts thoughtlessly and recklessly. The devoted and accomplished Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers accountable and win 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 flee the scene yourself. You may think the damages are too small to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be nervous that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much harder for you to receive compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everybody there should be your primary concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, do your best to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Sugar Creek, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or causes physical 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 winning your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Sugar Creek, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will impede you from being able to get valuable information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not seriously injured and can use your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photographs as you are able to. Even if you cannot get an entire license plate number, a partial license plate and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in finding the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the crash site may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to verify your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, law enforcement officer or Sugar Creek, 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 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 Sugar Creek, MO insurance company. In the event that the driver cannot be located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT at once. Our skilled and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including getting access to nearby surveillance video and getting in touch with witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of Sugar Creek, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the scene and prove exactly how the liable 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 discover the negligent driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their careless behavior. In those cases, the aggressive and knowledgeable Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you recover full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers are required to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down the aliable 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 Sugar Creek, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. The injuries happened because 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 Sugar Creek, MO insurance company takes the place of the at-fault party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like other insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best odds at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and talented Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have 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 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 found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the maximum amount of money that you deserve. When you sustain injuries because another driver did not respect the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible recovery for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, for instance: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced ability to enjoy life. No matter how serious your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you deserve. If you or a someone you care about in Sugar Creek, 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 ethical responsibility 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 are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or injury their careless behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Sugar Creek, MO, not having adequate 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 are also never removed from a Sugar Creek, MO driver’s record.

• The driver does not have a driver’s license, or has a suspended license

  This also carries stiff 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 result in fines, jail time, and revocation of a license.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely is not 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 careless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, drowsy or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee a crash site simply because they think they will not be caught. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more frequent between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Sugar Creek, 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 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 behind the wheel, 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 decides to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have thought that the pros of running outweighed the cons. The Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Sugar Creek, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many different situations. We insist on maximum 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 case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Sugar Creek, 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 sustained injuries in a Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Sugar Creek, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We insist that the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you full compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.