What To Do If You're Involved in a Hit-and-Run Accident in Missouri

Hit-and-run accidents are more common than you might think.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a hit-and-run crash occurs every 60 seconds in the United States.

Here in Missouri, people are killed each year in fatal hit-and-runs—increasingly so in recent years.

Missouri’s hit-and-run law can be found in Missouri Revised Statute § 577.060. The statute outlines the steps you need to take to avoid a hit-and-run charge following a car accident.

Here’s what you need to do if you’re involved in an accident that causes property damage, injury, or death:

1. Stop your vehicle at the scene of the accident (or as close to the scene as possible),
2. Provide your name, address, motor vehicle number, and driver’s license number to any person involved in the crash,
3. Render reasonable assistance to anyone injured, and
4. Report the accident to the local police (if someone suffered an injury or died, the other driver was uninsured, or more than $500 of property damage was sustained).

If the vehicle you hit was unoccupied (or you hit a fixed object), you must leave a note with your information at the scene and report the accident to the police.

According to a report published by the AAA Foundation, roughly half of all hit-and-run drivers are eventually identified.

The penalties for a hit-and-run depend on the damages caused by the accident:

Keep in mind that the penalties listed above are only criminal penalties. You may still be held civilly liable for the accident.

What’s more, even if you weren’t responsible for causing the accident, you face an uphill battle in a civil case because insurance companies, judges, and juries are typically less inclined to believe a fleeing driver when it comes to the details of an accident.

Fleeing the scene of an accident is always the wrong decision. Nevertheless, if you’re reading this section, it’s probably because you’ve already fled the scene of an accident.

So what should you do now?

If the vehicle you hit is still at the scene of the accident, return to the scene and complete the steps described above to avoid a hit-and-run charge.

If the vehicle you hit is no longer at the scene of the accident, call the local police and report the accident. Although you may still be charged with a hit-and-run, the judge may sentence you favorably based on the fact that you reported the accident.

First things first, do not chase after the driver. Chasing after a fleeing driver puts you and everyone else on the road in danger. Instead, follow these 5 steps:

1. Move your vehicle to a safe spot off the road.
2. Take a deep breath.
3. Call the police and provide them with any information you have about the hit-and-run vehicle (make, model, color, license plate, distinguishing features, physical description of the driver, etc.).
4. Take photographs of the accident scene and any damages.
5. Collect witness contact information.

If the police are able to track down the hit-and-run driver, you can file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit against the driver just as you would in any other car accident. Fortunately, you may still be able to recover damages even if the police are unable to track down the hit-and-run driver.

In Missouri, drivers are required to purchase uninsured motorist coverage. Coverage minimums are set at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Hit-and-run drivers are considered “uninsured drivers.” Accordingly, you can file a claim under your uninsured motorist policy.

Just like any other car accident, it’s important to gather evidence after the accident even though the other driver involved fled. Evidence that can be helpful includes witness contact information, photographs of the scene, and photographs of any damages.

If you’re the fleeing driver in a hit-and-run accident, you should reach out to a criminal defense attorney.

If you’re the victim, whether or not you need an attorney depends on the nature of your injuries. If you sustained serious injuries, it’s almost always a good idea to meet with an attorney. An attorney can help you locate the fleeing driver or, if the driver cannot be located, an attorney can help you negotiate with the insurance company to make sure you get all of the damages you deserve.