Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Wentzville, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in Wentzville, MO. How do you hold a driver accountable and get great compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run crash? Call the Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can start fighting for you and getting you a great recovery for your Wentzville, MO hit and run accident.

When a reckless driver consciously breaks the rules of the road and injured you or someone you care about, it is common to feel shocked and angry. It is especially unsettling when the liable party will not take responsibility for their actions and leaves the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be pondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, accomplished and talented Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold careless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your recovery and get you on the path to healing. Call us immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those who died, just about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately 20 percent of pedestrian deaths take place in hit and run accidents. A hit and run accident transpires every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury caused by a car crash can be traumatizing and cause life-long repercussions or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate that trauma as you may not find medical treatment at once, and you may not know who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of experienced and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped people injured in hit and run accidents in the Wentzville, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we start work on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your suit.

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 Wentzville, MO

If someone else behaves negligently and harms you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the scene
• Move their car if it may cause other drivers to crash, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Attend to anyone who is hurt
• Call the Wentzville, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in bad weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with others involved
• Stay at the crash site until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report must 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 county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene turns into a Class E Felony if any of the three conditions below 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 reassuring that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the negligent driver will not get you the recovery you are owed. They may be found guilty before the Wentzville, MO criminal court, but you need talented and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will fight by your side until you get the full recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we get started on your case at once and do not let up. We do not charge any fees until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to make sure the negligent party accepts full responsibility for their harmful actions.

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

While being in any accident is scary and can leave you feeling vulnerable, it can be especially nerve wracking if the at fault driver disregards the rules of the road and leaves the crash site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and frightening when someone does not respect those rules and acts carelessly and recklessly. The devoted and talented Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and secure you the money 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 leave the accident site yourself. You may think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may worry that you are partly responsible. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much harder for you to collect compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everybody present should be your primary thought. If you or somebody else is harmed, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Wentzville, MO emergency services to arrive and render 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 leads to physical harm or death. Even if you do not know the degree of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in making your case.
• DO NOT follow the driver. When you are hit by another vehicle in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may be motivated to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is Wentzville, 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 discern what you can about the irresponsible driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can use your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photos as you can. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, just part of the number 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 accident site.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people in the area might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to corroborate your story. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be easier to remember immediately after the accident, and those details will still be incredibly useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Wentzville, 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 right away. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to nearby surveillance footage and getting in touch with witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of Wentzville, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the negligible 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 locate the liable driver that caused your injuries and hold them responsible for their dangerous behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled Wentzville, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you get the best possible compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers need to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you cannot track down 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 Wentzville, MO, there are four standards that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily injuries
2. You sustained the injuries as a result of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot 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 Wentzville, 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 have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best chance at receiving full compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and skilled Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give in 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 found or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you are harmed because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to the best possible compensation for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, for example: your medical costs, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for all the money you are owed. If you or a loved one in Wentzville, 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 ethical responsibility to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone drives away from the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they care more about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their negligent actions caused. There are a variety of reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Wentzville, MO, not having the right 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 Wentzville, 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 otherwise impaired by drugs

  A DWI is a criminal charge that can also result in fines, jail time, and having your license revoked.

• The driver may have a warrant out for their arrest

  It might not be surprising that people who have already committed a crime would risk breaking the law again to leave the scene of an accident.

• Distracted driving

  Driving while not focusing on the road is thoughtless 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 likely to happen between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Wentzville, 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 what other drivers do on the road, 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, never lose focus and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best option.

Whatever the reason a driver decides 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 Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them accountable and make certain they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Wentzville, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing circumstances. We demand the best possible compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you get the money you are owed to put you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, 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 heal. When you hire our team of Wentzville, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We demand the at-fault 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 complimentary case review to take the first step in getting your life back on track.