When a driver hits you and flees, you're left injured and wondering what options you have. Missouri law provides real protections for accident victims in this situation — including mandatory uninsured motorist coverage that acts as a safety net when the at-fault driver disappears. You need an attorney who knows how to activate those protections and fight to recover everything you're owed.
(573) 499-0200 — free consultationA hit-and-run crash creates an immediate legal problem: the person who caused your injuries is gone. Without an identified at-fault driver, you cannot file a traditional liability claim against them. Missouri law addresses this gap in two ways. First, RSMo §379.203 requires that all Missouri auto insurance policies include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage — and when a hit-and-run driver cannot be identified, they are treated as an uninsured motorist under Missouri law, activating your own UM benefits.
Second, fleeing the scene of an accident is a criminal offense under RSMo §577.060 — a felony when the crash causes injury. Law enforcement investigators use surveillance cameras, witness accounts, paint transfer analysis, and debris patterns to identify fleeing drivers. When a driver is eventually found, a civil claim against them can proceed in addition to the UM claim.
Call (573) 499-0200 or contact us online to discuss your case. Bur Oak Injury Law handles hit-and-run accident claims across central Missouri — no fee unless we win.
Hit-and-run crashes are far more common than most people realize — and Missouri's roads are no exception. Understanding the numbers helps illustrate why being prepared, acting quickly, and having an attorney in your corner matters.
Sources: NHTSA FARS Data · Missouri State Highway Patrol Crash Statistics · RSMo §379.203 · RSMo §516.120
Hit-and-run accidents take many forms. Regardless of whether the driver is ever identified, Missouri law provides a path to compensation. These are the most common situations we handle across central Missouri.
A driver rear-ends your vehicle at an intersection or on the highway and speeds away before you can react or capture a plate number. These crashes are common in urban areas and on high-speed rural routes where a driver fears being caught without insurance or after driving impaired.
A driver damages your parked vehicle and leaves without leaving contact information. Even without a collision injury, parking lot hit-and-runs cause significant property damage and qualify for UM property damage coverage under many Missouri policies.
A driver strikes a pedestrian in a crosswalk or on the sidewalk and immediately flees. These cases often involve catastrophic injuries — broken bones, traumatic brain injury, spinal damage — and are subject to full UM claim recovery when the driver cannot be found.
A vehicle strikes a bicyclist and the driver leaves the scene. Cyclists hit by cars suffer severe injuries with no protective shell around them. Missouri UM coverage applies to cyclists as well as vehicle occupants, providing a recovery mechanism even when the driver is never identified.
Drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs often flee the scene specifically to avoid arrest for DWI under Missouri law. When the driver is later identified, a civil case opens in addition to the UM claim — and punitive damages may be available given the reckless conduct involved.
Delivery trucks, commercial drivers, and other commercial vehicles sometimes leave the scene to avoid liability for their employer or carrier. These cases can involve both corporate liability and UM claims — and often produce larger recoveries given the depth of commercial insurance coverage.
Hit-and-run claims move on two tracks simultaneously — law enforcement investigation and insurance claim. Both require immediate action. Surveillance footage disappears within days. Witnesses scatter. Your insurer expects prompt notification. The moment you contact us, we begin protecting your rights on both fronts.
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Missouri's mandatory uninsured motorist coverage requirement under RSMo §379.203 is the primary legal protection available to hit-and-run accident victims when the at-fault driver cannot be identified. Under Missouri law, an unidentified hit-and-run driver is treated as an uninsured motorist, which means your own policy's UM coverage activates to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other documented losses. UM coverage is required on all Missouri auto insurance policies — it cannot be waived without your explicit written rejection, and most drivers who carry any insurance at all have it. The coverage limits on your policy determine the maximum available recovery through this route. If the hit-and-run driver is later identified and carries liability insurance, a separate claim can be pursued against their carrier in addition to any UM recovery. Missouri's pure comparative fault system under RSMo §537.765 applies in both UM arbitration and civil litigation — even if you are found partly responsible for the accident, your recovery is reduced proportionately rather than eliminated entirely. Wrongful death claims arising from fatal hit-and-run crashes can be filed under RSMo §537.080 by surviving family members within three years under RSMo §537.100.
Under RSMo §516.120, most personal injury claims in Missouri must be filed within five years of the date of the accident. For claims arising after August 28, 2026, Missouri's HB 1664 shortens that window to three years. However, the statute of limitations is not the most urgent deadline in a hit-and-run case. Your auto insurance policy's UM provision typically requires prompt notification to the insurer — often within days of the accident — as a condition of coverage. Delays in notifying your insurer give them a basis to dispute or deny the claim entirely. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses, gas stations, and traffic cameras is typically overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. Witness accounts degrade rapidly. Debris evidence at the scene disappears. Vehicle paint transfer and physical evidence must be preserved before the vehicle is repaired. Contacting Bur Oak Injury Law immediately after a hit-and-run accident in central Missouri — before speaking with any insurance adjuster — puts you in the strongest possible position to recover full compensation for your injuries and losses.
No fee unless we win. Serving clients across Columbia, MO and central Missouri.