Hit & Run Accidents

Were you injured by a hit and run driver?

Under Missouri law, all drivers are required to carry liability insurance coverage. However, each year thousands of Missouri residents are involved in accidents with drivers who flee the scene or drivers who fail to maintain auto insurance, both of which are often connected. In many cases the at-fault driver will flee the scene of an accident because they don't have auto insurance or because there is a warrant for their arrest or because they're driving on a suspended or revoked license.

Under § 577.060 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, leaving the scene of an accident is a Class A misdemeanor, but when it involves physical injury or property damage in excess of $1,000, it's prosecuted as a Class D felony. This means that if you were involved in a car accident or a pedestrian accident and the at-fault driver took off before exchanging the required information, then they are in violation of the law and subject to criminal and administrative sanctions.

Under normal circumstances when you're involved in an accident with another driver and the other driver is at fault, you would file a claim with the at-fault party's auto insurance carrier, who would pay for the property damage to your vehicle, your medical bills, pain and suffering etc. What do you do if you're injured in a hit & run accident where the at-fault driver fled the scene?

Columbia Personal Injury Attorney

After a hit & run accident, this is where your uninsured motorist coverage kicks in. Missouri law requires that all drivers purchase uninsured motorist coverage, this means that your uninsured motorist coverage will protect you from hit-and-run drivers and it will cover you for injuries sustained as a pedestrian by an uninsured driver, but it does not cover damage to your vehicle.

While your own uninsured motorist coverage covers bodily injuries in a hit & run accident, depending on the location of the accident and whether or not you were working, you may be entitled to compensation under your employer's workers' compensation policy or you may be able to file a claim against the property owner's property insurance; for example, if you were hit by a car while walking in a parking lot or parking garage then the property owner may be held liable. If you were involved in a hit & run accident, we encourage you to contact a Columbia personal injury attorney from the Sumner Law Group, LLC right away. We can review your case and explore all possible avenues for compensation.