Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Union, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Union, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and collect maximum compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Union, 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 securing for you a full recovery for your Union, MO hit and run accident.

When a reckless driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a loved one, it is normal to feel dismayed and angry. It is especially unnerving when the negligent party refuses to take responsibility for their behavior and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be wondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The dedicated, veteran and skilled Union, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and purposefully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and put you on the journey to healing. Call us right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people died in hit and run accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those who died, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths occur in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury resulting from a car accident can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases intensify that trauma as you may not receive medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to seek just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people harmed in hit and run accidents in the Union, MO area get great recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

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 recover in compensation.

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys: Understanding the Laws in Union, MO

If somebody drives irresponsibly and injures 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:

• Stay 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 Union, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report has to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to injury or a fatality.

Missouri Statute 577.060 categorizes “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 becomes a Class D Felony if the crash becomes fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the at-fault driver will not get you the money you deserve. They may be found guilty in the Union, MO criminal court, but you need skilled 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 right away and are relentless 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 accepts full responsibility for their harmful 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 unprotected, it can be particularly nerve wracking if the negligent driver breaks the rules and flees the crash site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is disappointing and frightening when someone breaks those rules and drives selfishly and irresponsibly. The devoted and skilled Union, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless 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 leave the accident site yourself. You might think the damages are too small to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be nervous that you are partly responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to be awarded compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everyone there should be your chief concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Union, MO emergency services to come and give aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any accident that causes over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily injury or a fatality. Even if you are unsure of the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help a lot in proving 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 natural reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who hit you. That is Union, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other person not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at increased risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take photos. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can get hold of your phone before the car disappears from view, take as many pictures as possible. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, a partial license plate 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 photographs of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people in the area might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to validate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Union, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to contact them later.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photos, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Union, 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 savvy and expert hit and run accident attorneys will help you collect evidence, including acquiring close by surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work alongside a network of Union, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Listed 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 at-fault driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their irresponsible actions. In those cases, the aggressive and skilled Union, 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, drivers must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to locate the anegligent 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 Union, MO, there are four specifications that must be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. The injuries occurred 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 Union, 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 persuaded to pay. To have the best odds at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and savvy Union, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for a long time.

Whether the at fault driver is tracked down or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the full recovery that you are owed. When you are injured because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have received owing to the accident, for instance: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how serious your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for all the money you are owed. If you or a family member in Union, 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 moral responsibility to stay at an accident site. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more concerned about the consequences for themselves than any damage or injury their careless behavior caused. There are many reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Union, MO, not having the appropriate 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 Union, 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, based on whether you have been caught without a valid license before.

• A drunk driver or a driver otherwise impaired by 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 probably is not surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to run away from the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on 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 flee an accident site simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. 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 Union, 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 know what to do. 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 presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

No matter the reason a driver decides to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the pros of running were greater than the cons. The Union, 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 Union, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying circumstances. We demand maximum 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 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 Union, 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 sustained injuries in a Union, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related expenses can upend your life. Burger Law is here to help you recover. When you hire our team of Union, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf at once. We insist that the negligent parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you the best possible compensation to aid you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.