Hit and Run Accident Attorneys West St. Louis County, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in West St. Louis County, MO. How do you hold a driver to blame and get maximum compensation for your damages when you have been injured in a hit and run crash? Call the West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online so that we can begin working for you and securing for you the best possible recovery for your West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver knowingly breaks the rules of the road and injured you or a loved one, it is normal to feel dismayed and outraged. It is especially distressing when the negligent party will not take responsibility for their actions and drives away from the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be puzzled about who is going to pay for the damages to your property and you or your loved one’s injuries. The dedicated, accomplished and talented West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold reckless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you make sense of the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and put you on the road to healing. Call us right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

In the United States in 2016, 2049 people were killed in hit and run crashes, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of the fatalities, about 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 happens every 43 seconds in the United States. Any injury arising from an auto crash can be traumatizing and bring about life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases amplify that trauma as you may not get medical attention immediately, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to collect fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of seasoned and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families injured in hit and run accidents in the West St. Louis County, MO area get full recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin work on your case at once, and we do not collect any payment until we win your claim.

If you have been injured in a hit and run accident, take a loot at our personal injury calculator to see how much you may be able to get in compensation.

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys: Understanding the Laws in West St. Louis County, MO

If a driver drives carelessly and harms 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 a crime. When a driver causes or is involved in an accident, they are required by law to:

• Stay at the crash site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for instructions from police
• Provide aid to anyone who is hurt
• Call the West St. Louis County, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Trade contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Remain at the accident site until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in 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 type of misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of one year in county jail and a fine of $2,000. However, leaving the scene becomes 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 becomes fatal and results in 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 recovery you are entitled to. They may be found culpable in front of the West St. Louis County, MO criminal court, but you need expert and devoted hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to heal. When you hire us, we start working on your case immediately and work tenaciously until we win. You do not owe us a dime until we win your case and we will represent you aggressively to ensure the at-fault party accepts complete responsibility for their careless behavior.

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 liable individual disregards the law and leaves the scene. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disheartening and startling when someone disregards those rules and drives selfishly and recklessly. The dedicated and skilled West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless drivers responsible and secure you the compensation you are owed. 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 might think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the hassle, or you may be afraid that you are in some measure at fault. Leaving the location of a crash will make it much more complicated for you to recover compensation for your injuries, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical care. The health and safety of everyone present should be your chief thought. If you or somebody else is harmed, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for West St. Louis County, 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 crash that results in over $500 worth of damages or leads to bodily injury or a fatality. Even if you are not certain what the scope of the damages or injuries are immediately, having a police report will help immeasurably in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. After being hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are common reactions. You may want to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is West St. Louis County, MO law enforcement’s obligation. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at heightened risk, but it will hold you back from being able to get valuable information and may even cause the police to suspect you.
• DO safely discern what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photographs. If you are not badly injured and can take out your phone before the car vanishes from sight, take as many pictures as you are able to. Even if you cannot get complete license plate number, just part of the 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 pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the area of the accident.
  • Speak to witnesses. Other people at the accident site might have been able to see more than you did, or will be able to verify your story. Be sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them at a later date.
  • Write it all down. If you did not have time or the ability to take photographs, anything you could observe about the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately after the crash, and those details will still be of great help to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your West St. Louis County, 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 immediately. Our talented and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to close by surveillance footage and contacting witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of West St. Louis County, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the accident and prove exactly how the negligible 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

The ideal scenario is that police and/or your hit and run accident attorneys will be able to discover the at-fault driver that caused your damages and hold them responsible for their thoughtless behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and skilled West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make sure you win 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 aliable 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 compensation from your own insurance company. In West St. Louis County, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained bodily injuries
2. You sustained the injuries because 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 West St. Louis County, MO insurance company takes the place of the negligent 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 experienced and talented West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys like those at Burger Law to fight by your side. We have been pushing back against insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not give up the fight until your own insurance company reimburses you for the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is identified or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve. When you are harmed because somebody else broke the rules of the road, you deserve maximum compensation for all of damages you have sustained as a result of the accident, for instance: your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. No matter how grave your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every penny you deserve. If you or a loved one in West St. Louis County, 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 duty to remain at the scene of an accident. When someone runs 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 irresponsible behavior caused. There are a variety of reasons the at-fault party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In West St. Louis County, MO, not having 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 are also never removed from a West St. Louis County, 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, based 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 getting your license revoked.

• 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 flee an accident site.

• 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, tired or are just daydreaming.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee a crash site simply because they think they can do so without any repercussions. 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 West St. Louis County, 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 after 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 areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are behind the wheel, never get distracted and never assume that leaving the scene of an accident is the best decision.

Whatever the reason a driver decides to leave the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and ensure they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in West St. Louis County, 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 give up until you collect the money you are owed to put you on the path to healing. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a complimentary consultation and so we can get started on your case right away.

The West St. Louis County, 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 a family member experienced injuries in a West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, 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 West St. Louis County, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf immediately. We demand the at-fault parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we demand that you receive full 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.