Hit-and-run accidents can be overwhelming. Contact The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. today for a free consultation
Being involved in a car accident is a stressful experience, but when the other driver flees the scene, the situation becomes even more challenging. Hit-and-run accidents can leave victims feeling angry, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to do next. Understanding your rights and options after a hit-and-run in St. Louis is crucial to protecting yourself and seeking compensation.
Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us guide you through recovering damages and holding those responsible accountable. Don’t let a hit-and-run derail your life—let us help you get back on track.
A hit-and-run accident occurs when a driver involved in a collision leaves the scene without stopping to provide their contact and insurance information or assist injured parties. This applies to accidents involving other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, or property damage.
In Missouri, leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offense with legal consequences, including fines, license suspension, and even jail time.
Missouri Laws on Hit-and-Run Accidents
Under Missouri Revised Statute § 577.060, drivers are legally required to:
Stop at the scene of an accident.
Provide the other party with their name, address, and vehicle registration information.
Render reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including calling emergency services if necessary.
Failing to meet these obligations constitutes a hit-and-run. The severity of penalties depends on the circumstances:
Property Damage Only: Up to one year in jail and fines up to $1,000.
Injuries or Death: A felony charge with potential imprisonment and substantial fines.
Steps to Take After a Hit-and-Run Accident
If you’re the victim of a hit-and-run, taking the proper steps immediately after the incident can significantly impact your ability to recover damages and hold the at-fault driver accountable.
Ensure Safety First
Move to a safe location, especially in a high-traffic area.
Check yourself and others for injuries, call 911 to report the accident, and request medical assistance if needed.
Gather Information
Even if the other driver has fled, try to collect as much information as possible about the incident. Useful details include:
The make, model, and color of the fleeing vehicle.
The license plate number (even partial plates can help).
Any identifying features of the driver or vehicle (bumper stickers, damage, etc.).
The direction the vehicle fled.
Look for Witnesses
Witnesses can provide critical information about the fleeing vehicle or driver. Collect their contact information and ask them to give statements to the police.
Document the Scene
Take photos or videos of:
Your vehicle’s damage.
The surrounding area, including skid marks, debris, or property damage.
Traffic signs, signals, and road conditions at the time of the accident.
File a Police Report
A police report is essential for hit-and-run cases. Provide the officers with all the information you’ve gathered, as it can help them investigate and potentially locate the at-fault driver.
Notify Your Insurance Company
Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to report the accident. Many policies include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which can be used in hit-and-run cases.
Recovering Compensation After a Hit-and-Run in St. Louis
Hit-and-run accidents can complicate the process of obtaining compensation, especially if the at-fault driver isn’t identified. However, victims still have options:
Missouri law requires all drivers to carry UM coverage as part of their auto insurance policy. This coverage can compensate you for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering in cases where the at-fault driver is uninsured or cannot be located.
Collision Coverage
If you have collision coverage, it can help pay for repairs to your vehicle, regardless of who was at fault.
MedPay Coverage
Medical Payments (MedPay) insurance can cover medical bills for you and your passengers, regardless of fault, and is especially useful in hit-and-run cases.
Legal Action If the Driver Is Found
If the hit-and-run driver is identified, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against them to recover damages, including punitive damages for their reckless behavior.
Challenges in Hit-and-Run Cases
Victims of hit-and-run accidents often face unique challenges, including:
Locating the Driver: Many hit-and-run drivers are never identified, leaving victims to rely solely on their insurance policies for compensation.
Proving Fault: Without the other driver’s account, proving fault can be more complicated.
Insurance Disputes: Insurance companies may attempt to minimize payouts, even under UM coverage.
An experienced car accident attorney can help you navigate these challenges, ensuring you get the compensation you deserve.
Preventing Hit-and-Run Accidents
While you can’t control another driver’s actions, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:
Avoid confrontations if you suspect a driver is about to flee; instead, focus on gathering details.
Always drive defensively and stay alert.
Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas to discourage hit-and-run incidents in parking lots.
Install a dashcam to capture video evidence in case of an accident.
Contact The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. Today
If you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run accident in St. Louis, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. At The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C., we have over 20 years of experience helping accident victims navigate the complexities of hit-and-run cases. We’ll fight to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve, even if the at-fault driver is never found.
Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us guide you through recovering damages and holding those responsible accountable. Don’t let a hit-and-run derail your life—let us help you get back on track.
This legal professional has shown exceptional competence and dedication in their field. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking legal representation that is committed to unwavering advocacy and support throughout the entirety of their case.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner: TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner: Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner: This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner: Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner: Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner: Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner: Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner: Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner: This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
Best in St Louis for auto accident cases. Nobody else is even close.
Response from the owner: So kind of you to leave this review. Whether our lawyers are going after big insurance or their lawyers, skill and experience are essential and win the day for our auto accident clients. Thanks!
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner: Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner: We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer. At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner: Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner: Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner: Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner: Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner: Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner: Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner: Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
I was in a car accident in St.Louis and hired Chris as my lawyer. He was amazing!!! He helped me every step of the way and was able to get me a great settlement!!!Highly, highly, highly recommend him!
Response from the owner: Each step is important in a car accident. Thanks for recommending us for car accidents injury claims.
