Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Webb City, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Webb City, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and recover great compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start fighting for you and securing for you a great recovery for your Webb City, MO hit and run accident.

When a dangerous driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a loved one, it is normal to feel shocked and furious. It is particularly unnerving when the liable party refuses to take responsibility for their negligent driving and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to compensate you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The devoted, experienced and talented Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight for you to maximize your compensation and get you on the road to recovery. Call us immediately 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 crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, 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 occurs every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by an auto wreck can be traumatizing and cause life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases compound your wounds as you may not find medical attention right away, and you may not know who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and talented hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those hurt in hit and run accidents in the Webb City, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case at once, and we do not collect any payment until we win your case.

If you have been hurt 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 Webb City, MO

If a motorist drives carelessly 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, fleeing the scene of an accident is against the law. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Remain at the accident site
• Move their car if it hazardous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until directed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Webb City, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with other people involved
• Stay at the crash site until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident leads to 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 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 turns into 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run becomes a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and leads to somebody’s death. While it is encouraging that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the compensation you deserve. They may be found culpable in front of the Webb City, MO criminal court, but you need knowledgeable and committed hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will insist that you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and do not give up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will fight tirelessly to ensure the at-fault party accepts complete responsibility for their harmful actions.

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 especially stressful if the responsible person breaks the rules of the road and leaves the crash site. The rules exist for a reason, and it is discouraging and startling when someone does not respect those rules and drives selfishly and irresponsibly. The committed and talented Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold negligent drivers accountable and secure 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 may think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the nuisance, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of an accident will make it much more difficult for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. Your primary thought should be your health and safety and the health and safety of anyone else in your car or involved in the accident. If you or somebody else is hurt, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for Webb City, MO emergency services to get there and give aid.
• DO NOT hesitate to call the police. Missouri law says that you have to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily harm or a fatality. Even if you are not sure what the extent of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help a lot in winning your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. After being hit by another auto in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are normal reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Webb City, MO law enforcement’s job. Chasing after the other motorist not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at further risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get important information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely note what you are able to about the reckless driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photos. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can get hold of your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many pictures as you are able to. 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 incredibly useful in determining who the driver was. It also helps to take photos of any tire marks or other damage to the accident site.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the accident site may have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to corroborate your version of events. Be sure to get their contact information so a claims adjuster, police officer or Webb City, MO hit and run accident lawyer will be able to reach out to them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take pictures, 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 very useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Webb City, MO insurance company. If the driver is never located, you will have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company.
• DO call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT straight away. Our talented and accomplished hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of Webb City, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the crash and demonstrate 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 at-fault driver that caused your injuries and hold them accountable for their dangerous driving. In those cases, the indefatigable and talented Webb City, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you receive the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, motorists must have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot find the aat-fault 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 seek damages from your own insurance company. In Webb City, MO, there are four standards that are required to be met so that you can 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 Webb City, MO insurance company acts as a substitute for the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like any insurance companies, they may still need convincing before they pay you. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and talented Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law to fight for you. 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 reimburses you for the money you have likely 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 certain you get the maximum amount of money that you deserve. When you are injured 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 received because of the accident, for example: 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 entitled to. If you or a loved one in Webb City, 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 duty to remain at an accident site. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the consequences for themselves than any damage or harm their dangerous behavior caused. There are a lot of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Webb City, MO, not having adequate insurance can lead to 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 are also never removed from a Webb City, 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 pulled over without a valid license before.

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

• 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 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 Webb City, 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. Sometimes, these drivers turn themselves in once 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, never get distracted and never presume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses 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 Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make sure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Webb City, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying situations. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you get the money you deserve to put you on the road to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation and so we can start working on your case right away.

The Webb City, 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 experienced injuries in a Webb City, 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 Webb City, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting for you immediately. We insist that the responsible parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive 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.