Hit and Run Accident Attorneys Westport, MO

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

When a dangerous driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and harms you or a family member, it is common to feel appalled and furious. It is especially perturbing when the reckless 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 wondering who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The committed, accomplished and knowledgeable Westport, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold thoughtless and intentionally irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight by your side to maximize your compensation and get you on the road to recovery. Call us today 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 crashes, which was a 62 percent increase from 2009. Of those killed, about 65 percent of them were pedestrians or bicyclists, and approximately one in five pedestrian deaths transpire 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 create life-long consequence or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate your wounds as you may not receive medical attention at once, and you may not be certain who to turn to or how to secure fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Our group of experienced and adept hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped individuals and families hurt in hit and run accidents in the Westport, MO area get the best possible recoveries and know how to maximize your compensation. When you contact us at (314) 500-HURT, we begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any payment until we win your suit.

If you have been harmed in a hit and run accident, check out our personal injury calculator to see how much your damages may be worth.

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

If someone else behaves recklessly and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only to blame for your injuries, they are a lawbreaker. In Missouri, fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law requires them to:

• Remain at the accident site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait until instructed by police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the Westport, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Swap contact info and insurance information with everybody involved
• Stay at the accident site until a police officer tells them they can leave

Furthermore, an accident report must be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident causes injury or death.

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 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 crash is fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is reassuring that we have laws against hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the compensation you are entitled to. They may be found culpable in the Westport, MO criminal court, but you need talented and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will demand that you get the best possible recovery you need to make you whole again. 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 make certain the at-fault party accepts full responsibility for their dangerous actions.

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

While being in any crash is terrifying and can leave you feeling unprotected, it can be particularly stressful if the negligent driver disregards the law and leaves the accident site. The rules were enacted for a reason, and it is disappointing and alarming when someone disregards those rules and behaves carelessly and recklessly. The devoted and skilled Westport, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless 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 flee the crash site yourself. You could think the damages are too minor to want to deal with the inconvenience, or you may be anxious that you are partially responsible. Leaving the scene of a crash will make it much more difficult for you to get compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical treatment. The health and safety of everyone present should be your chief concern. If you or somebody else is hurt, try to keep them in a stable condition and wait for Westport, MO emergency services to come and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any crash that leads to over $500 worth of damages or results in bodily harm or death. Even if you are not sure what the scope of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will go a long way in making your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another driver in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who caused your accident. That is Westport, 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 hold you back from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely find out what you are able to about the at-fault driver and vehicle. To do so, you can:
  • Take photos. If you are not seriously injured and can get hold of your phone before the car is completely gone, take as many photos as you are able to. Even if you cannot get a full license plate number, just part of the number and/or the make, model and color of the car will be incredibly helpful in locating the driver. It is also useful to take photos of any tire marks or other damage at the scene of the crash.
  • Talk to witnesses. Other people at the scene may 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 Westport, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to reach out to them later.
  • Write down everything you can. 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 collision, and those details will still be very useful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your Westport, 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 right away. Our savvy and experienced hit and run accident attorneys will help you gather evidence, including getting access to adjacent surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete statements. We work with a network of Westport, MO car accident experts who will be able to recreate the scene 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 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 reckless behavior. In those cases, the indefatigable and skilled Westport, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will ensure you collect maximum 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 find 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 Westport, MO, there are four criteria that need to be met in order for you to make this claim:

1. You received bodily 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 Westport, MO insurance company takes the place of the responsible party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be convinced to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need veteran and savvy Westport, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been resisting insurance companies and other bullies for decades, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have certainly been paying into their policies for years.

Whether the at fault driver is located or not, the hit and run accident attorneys at Burger law will make sure you get the full compensation that you are entitled to. When you get hurt because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you deserve the best possible recovery for all of damages you have experienced as a result of the accident, such as: your medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish and reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how grave your injuries, we insist that you are compensated for every dollar you are owed. If you or a loved one in Westport, 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 every driver’s legal and ethical obligation to stay at the scene of an accident. When someone flees the scene of a hit and run accident, it is because they are more worried about the repercussions for themselves than any damage or harm their thoughtless behavior caused. There are a wide array reasons the negligent party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In Westport, MO, not having the right 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 Westport, 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 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 lead to 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 flee a crash 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, fatigued or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may flee the scene of an accident simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more probable between 12AM and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the Westport, 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. often, 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 poorly lit areas at night, and when you are driving, never get distracted and never assume 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 thought that the benefits of running outweighed the cons. The Westport, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will hold them responsible and make certain they see they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in Westport, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many differing scenarios. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not let up until you recover the money you are owed to put you on the road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can begin working on your case right away.

The Westport, 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 experienced injuries in a Westport, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Injuries and their related expenses can disrupt your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of Westport, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting by your side immediately. We insist that the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you maximum compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.