Hit and Run Accident Attorneys St. Louis, MO

Hit and Run Accident Attorneys in St. Louis, MO. How do you hold a driver responsible and recover maximum compensation for your damages when you have been harmed in a hit and run accident? Call the St. Louis, 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 winning you a great recovery for your St. Louis, MO hit and run accident.

When a negligent driver intentionally breaks the rules of the road and harms you or someone you care about, it is common to feel shocked and outraged. It is particularly distressing when the at-fault party declines to take responsibility for their behavior and flees the scene of the in a hit and run accident. You may be asking yourself who is going to reimburse you for the damages to your property and you or your family member's injuries. The dedicated, experienced and talented St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law know how to hold dangerous and willfully irresponsible driver’s accountable. We will help you understand the situation and will fight for you to maximize your recovery and get you on the road to healing. Call us now 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 accidents, which is 62 percent more than 2009. Of those killed, 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 accident can be traumatizing and cause life-long changes or, in the worst cases, wrongful death. However, hit and run cases aggravate that trauma as you may not receive medical care at once, and you may not be certain who to trust or how to collect just compensation for your injuries and damages. Our team of veteran and skilled hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law have helped those harmed in hit and run accidents in the St. Louis, MO area get full recoveries and understand how to maximize your compensation. When you reach out to us at (314) 500-HURT, we start working on your case right away, and we do not charge 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 your damages may be worth.

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

If a driver behaves negligently and injures you in a hit and run accident, they are not only culpable for your injuries, they are guilty of breaking the law. In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is against the law. When a motorist causes or is involved in an accident, the law dictates that they must:

• Stay at the accident site
• Move their car if it dangerous to other drivers, otherwise, wait for directions from police
• Help anyone who is hurt
• Call the St. Louis, MO police
• Use flares, reflectors, or flashlights if the accident happened at night or in poor weather
• Exchange contact info and insurance information with anybody involved
• Stay at the scene until a police officer tells them differently

Additionally, an accident report needs to be filed if damages exceed $500 or the accident results in injury or death.

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 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 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 has previously left the scene of a hit and run accident.

A hit and run turns into a Class D Felony if the accident is fatal and results in somebody’s death. While it is comforting that we have laws deterring hit and runs, a criminal conviction for the irresponsible driver will not get you the compensation you deserve. They may be found responsible in front of the St. Louis, MO criminal court, but you need accomplished and dedicated hit and run accident attorneys like we have at Burger Law who will demand that you get the maximum recovery you need to recover. When you hire us, we get started on your case immediately and are relentless until we win. 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 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 unprotected, it can be especially stressful if the at fault driver disregards the rules of the road and flees the accident site. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is discouraging and alarming when someone does not respect those rules and drives carelessly and dangerously. The dedicated and accomplished St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and recover for you the money 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 could think the damages are too small 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 difficult for you to recover compensation for your damages, and, more importantly, it is against the law.
• DO get medical attention. Your number-one worry 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 injured, focus on keeping them in a stable condition and wait for St. Louis, MO emergency services to get there and provide aid.
• DO NOT wait to call the police. Missouri law requires you to call the police in any accident that leads to over $500 worth of damages or causes bodily harm or death. Even if you are unsure of the extent of the damages or injuries are at that moment, having a police report will help immeasurably in proving your case.
• DO NOT go after the driver. When you are hit by another car in a hit and run accident, anger and outrage are typical reactions. You may be tempted to follow the driver and find out who they are. That is St. Louis, MO law enforcement’s job. Going on a wild goose chase not only puts yourself, other drivers, passengers and pedestrians at more risk, but it will impede you from being able to get important information and may even make the police suspicious of you.
• DO safely learn what you can about the negligent driver and vehicle. To do this, you can:
  • Take pictures. If you did not sustain a serious injury and can take out your phone before the car you cannot see the car anymore, take as many photos as you are able to. 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 discovering who the driver was. It also helps to take pictures of any tire marks or other damage to the crash site.
  • 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 story. Make sure to get their contact information so an insurance company, law enforcement officer or St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorney will be able to contact them later.
  • Write down everything you can. If you did not have time or the ability to take photos, any knowledge you have of the other car or driver will be fresher in your memory immediately following the crash, and those details will still be incredibly helpful to the police and your hit and run accident attorneys.
• DO contact your St. Louis, 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 right away. Our skilled and expert hit and run accident attorneys will assist in gathering evidence, including obtaining close by surveillance footage and reaching out to witnesses for complete depositions. We work alongside a network of St. Louis, MO car accident experts who will be able to reconstruct the crash and show exactly how the negligible party caused your injuries.

Here are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for hit and runs and other types 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 find the negligent driver that caused your damages and hold them accountable for their reckless behavior. In those cases, the tenacious and expert St. Louis, MO hit and run accident lawyers at Burger Law will make certain you win full compensation from the driver and their insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Claims in Hit and Run Accidents

In Missouri, drivers are required to have uninsured motorist insurance. If you are unable to track down 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 make a claim against your own insurance company. In St. Louis, MO, there are four specifications that must be met so that you can make this claim:

1. You sustained physical injuries
2. You received the injuries because of an uninsured motorist, or in the case a motorist you cannot identify
3. You are legally owed compensation from the at-fault driver
4. All other limits of applicable policies have been exhausted by payment or settlement

In these cases, your own St. Louis, MO insurance company takes the place of the liable party’s insurance company in order to compensate you for your damages. However, like many insurance companies, they may still have to be persuaded to pay. To have the best opportunity to receive the best possible compensation from an uninsured motorist claim, you need seasoned and skilled St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorneys like the ones at Burger Law to fight on your behalf. We have been standing up to insurance companies and other bullies for over 20 years, and will not back down until your own insurance company pays you back the money you have likely 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 ensure you get the maximum amount of compensation that you are owed. When you get hurt because somebody else disregarded the rules of the road, you are entitled to maximum compensation 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 reduced capacity to enjoy life. No matter how severe your injuries, we demand that you are compensated for every nickel you are owed. If you or a family member in St. Louis, 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 ethical responsibility to stay at an accident site. When someone drives away from 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 negligent actions caused. There are a wide array reasons the liable party might not want to take responsibility for their actions:

• The driver does not have car insurance

  In St. Louis, MO, not having appropriate 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 also remain on a St. Louis, 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, depending on whether you have been caught 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 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 paying full attention to the road is thoughtless and dangerous. People can become distracted if they are texting, eating, looking at directions, dozing off or just have their head in the clouds.

• Lack of potential witnesses or low lighting

  A driver may leave a crash site simply because they think they can do so without any consequences. Hit and run accidents are 4.5 times more probable between midnight and 4AM, when there is low visibility and far fewer witnesses on the St. Louis, MO roads or sidewalks.

• A panicked driver

  Sometimes the driver has a clean record but simply leaves the accident because they are afraid and do not know what to do. often, 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 areas with bad lighting at night, and when you are behind the wheel, stay alert at all times and never take for granted that leaving the scene of an accident is the best choice.

Regardless of the reason a driver chooses to flee the scene after causing a hit and run accident, they must have presumed the benefits of fleeing were greater than the cons. The St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorneys at Burger Law will make them pay and make certain they know they were wrong. In our seventy years of experience as hit and run accident attorneys in St. Louis, MO we have successfully litigated hit and run cases in many varying scenarios. We demand full compensation for all of our hit and run accident clients and will not give up until you recover the money you deserve to put you on the road to being made whole again. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review and so we can get started on your case right away.

The St. Louis, 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
• Car Accident Attorney in Missouri

If you or a family member sustained injuries in a St. Louis, MO hit and run accident, you are probably feeling confused, outraged, and anxious. Injuries and their related costs can uproot your life. Burger Law is here to help you heal. When you hire our team of St. Louis, MO hit and run accident attorneys, we start working on your case and fighting on your behalf right away. We insist that the liable parties and their insurance companies are held accountable and we insist on getting you full compensation to help you in your recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation to take the first step in getting your life back on track.