Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Sullivan, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Sullivan, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and receive the best possible compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin working for you and winning you the best possible recovery for your Sullivan, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and hurts you or a loved one, it is normal to feel shocked and outraged. It is especially distressing when the at-fault party declines to take responsibility for their behavior and runs away from 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 dedicated, accomplished and talented Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and purposefully 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 road to healing. 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 accidents, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, almost 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 occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury stemming from a car crash can be traumatizing and produce life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound your wounds as you may not receive medical care immediately, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to seek equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families harmed in hit and run accidents in the Sullivan, MO area get great recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case right away, and we do not collect any fees until we win your suit.

If you have been hurt in a hit and run accident, take a loot at 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 Sullivan, MO

If a driver acts irresponsibly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only responsible for your injuries, they are guilty of a criminal act. In Missouri, fleeing 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 scene
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Provide aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Sullivan, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in inclement weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with other people 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 results in 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 a local jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene turns into 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 becomes a Class D Felony if the crash is fatal and causes somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the compensation you are owed. They may be found culpable in the Sullivan, MO criminal court, but you need talented 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 recover. When you hire us, we start working on your case at once and do not give up. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to ensure the negligent party bears full responsibility for their careless behavior.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be especially nerve wracking if the at fault individual disregards the rules and leaves the accident site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and startling when someone disregards those rules and behaves carelessly and recklessly. The committed and talented Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers accountable 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 flee the crash site yourself. You could think the damages are too insignificant to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may be nervous that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your chief concern 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 harmed, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Sullivan, 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 results in over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily injury or death. Even if you do not know the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help a lot in winning your case.
• DO NOT pursue the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are natural reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Sullivan, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hamper you from being able to get necessary information and may even cause the police to not believe you.
• DO safely note what you are able to about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not badly injured and can get hold of your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photographs as you are able to. 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 a great help in determining who the driver was. It is also useful to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the accident site may have had a better view than you, or will be able to confirm your story. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Sullivan, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to get in touch with them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the accident, and those details will still be incredibly useful to law enforcement and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Sullivan, 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 immediately. Our skilled and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will assist in collecting evidence, including getting access to nearby surveillance video and reaching out to witnesses for full depositions. We work with a network of Sullivan, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene and prove exactly how the liable party caused your injuries.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other kinds of car accidents:

Hit and Run Cases in Missouri

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to find the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their irresponsible behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and knowledgeable Sullivan, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you collect maximum 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 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 Sullivan, MO, there are four specifications that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. You received the injuries 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 Sullivan, MO insurance company acts as a stand in for the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your injuries. However, like any insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best odds at receiving maximum compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need accomplished and knowledgeable Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been challenging 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 certainly 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 ensure you get the full compensation that you deserve. When you get hurt because another driver disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, such as: 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 every nickel you are owed. If you or a loved one in Sullivan, MO has been harmed 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 moral responsibility to remain at an accident 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 Sullivan, 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 Sullivan, 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 result in fines, jail time, and getting your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It likely is not 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 giving full attention to the road is thoughtless 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 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 Sullivan, 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. Occasionally, these drivers turn themselves in once they have calmed down.

While we cannot control what other drivers do on the road, 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 driving, never lose focus and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

No matter the reason a driver opts to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have assumed the pros of fleeing outweighed the cons. The Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and ensure they understand they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Sullivan, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing situations. We demand great compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not rest until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the road to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Sullivan, 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 someone you care about experienced injuries in a Sullivan, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, livid, and vulnerable. Injuries and their related bills can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Sullivan, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side right away. We demand the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you great 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.