Hit-and-Run Laws in Missouri and Illinois

If another driver injures you and then drives off, they are not just leaving you out to dry for your injuries; they are breaking the law. Under Missouri Revised Statute §577.060, leaving the scene of an accident is a class A misdemeanor, or a class E felony if the accident resulted in an injury or over $1,000 in property damage. In Illinois, 625 ILCS 5/11-402 and 625 ILCS 5/11-403 also stipulate that you must stop for an accident that causes any property damage, injury or death.

If the negligent driver is later caught by police, the state will take care of the criminal proceedings. But you still need an experienced and aggressive hit-and-run lawyer to hold the negligent driver accountable for your injuries and get you maximum compensation. Burger Law knows how to handle these types of cases and will make sure you do not have to pay for the negligence of another.

How Common Are Hit-and-Run Accidents in St. Louis and Missouri?

According to one study, hit-and-run fatalities increased 44 percent between 2010 and 2019. Missouri was 17th in the nation in that period with 283 fatal crashes, and Illinois was fifth with 680.

According to the AAA Foundation, in 2015 there were 737,100 hit-and-run crashes nationwide, making up 11.7 percent of all crashes. With 138,500 injuries it 1,819 fatalities, those crashes caused 5.0 percent of all injuries and 5.1 of all traffic-related deaths. Sixty-five percent of those killed were pedestrians or bicyclists. Hit-and-run accidents are 4.4 times more likely to occur between 12AM and 4AM compared to 8AM to 11:59AM.

Why Do Hit-and-Run Accidents Happen in St. Louis, MO?

In a perfect world, everyone would take responsibility for their actions and do what they can to rectify the damage they caused. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and many people who break the rules of the road are not averse to breaking other rules. Some reasons that someone might hit you and drive off include:

• The driver did not have insurance, which is a crime in both Missouri and Illinois, and can lead to jail time, fines and a suspended license.
• The driver did not have a valid driver's license, or had a suspended license, which also carries a criminal sentence.
• You were hit by a drunk driver or a driver under the influence of drugs who does not want to be arrested.
• The driver had a warrant out for their arrest and did not want to wait for police to show up at the scene.
• The vehicle is stolen, or the driver does not otherwise have permission to use it.
• The driver has illegal goods in the car.
• There was low visibility or a lack of witnesses at the scene, and the driver thought they could get away without getting caught.

In some cases, a driver just panics when they realize they have caused an accident, and flees the scene because they do not know what to do. Often, those drivers will come back to the scene or turn themselves in once they have had a chance to calm down.

What to Do If You Were Injured in a Hit-and-Run Accident in St. Louis

While it is aggravating, to say the least, if someone injures you and drives off, it is important to keep a cool head, as it is after any auto accident. If another driver hits you and you notice them speeding away, you should:

• Remain at the scene — It may be tempting to try and track down the other driver yourself, but doing so will open you up to criminal liability, hurt your chances of gathering valuable evidence and possibly lead to other people being injured if the other driver becomes reckless. Move your vehicle to a safe spot on the side of the road.
• Document everything you can — If possible, take pictures of the other car before it is out of view. If not, try to get a good look at it so you can at least notice the color and type of car, if not the exact make and model. That information, along with even a partial license plate you are able to remember, can be key in eventually finding the driver of the vehicle. You should also take pictures of your car and the surrounding area. See if there are any eyewitnesses who saw what happened and details about the vehicle or the person driving it.
• Call the police — Not only will a police report be helpful when filing an insurance claim, but law enforcement will want to know that someone broke the law, and will want whatever information you can provide to help track them down. If someone was severely injured, calling 911 should be the first thing you do.
• Get medical treatment — Even if you do not think your injuries are severe, it is still a good idea to get checked out in an emergency room, at urgent care or with your primary care physician. In the event your injuries are worse than you believed, you will need to have documentation to get compensation for them.
• Notify your insurance company — You should do this the same day you have the accident, if you can. If police are not able to locate the fleeing driver, you will have to go through your own insurance company for a financial recovery. You usually only have 30 days from the date of the accident to file a claim.

Once you have gotten medical attention and notified your insurance company, it is always a good idea to reach out to a personal injury lawyer in St. Louis. Burger Law has gotten great results for our clients in hit-and-run accident cases before, and we are more than happy to discuss your case with you for free. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT.