Home › Personal Injury Laws by State › Missouri Personal Injury Laws

Missouri generally allows most personal injury lawsuits based on negligence to be filed within five years after the claim accrues, a longer period than most states provide. Shorter periods apply to some kinds of claims, including medical malpractice and wrongful-death claims, and different rules, exceptions, and requirements for claims against governmental entities may apply depending on the claim and the parties involved. This page cannot determine which deadline applies to any particular situation; only a licensed Missouri attorney reviewing the facts can do that.

Missouri generally follows an at-fault system for motor-vehicle injury claims. Liability ordinarily depends on who caused the collision. The compensation available in any particular matter generally depends on the injuries or losses involved and the insurance coverage that applies. How these rules apply in any individual situation depends on its facts, and if the parties involved cannot agree on liability, the court process may be necessary to resolve it.

Missouri follows a pure comparative-fault rule. In general terms, compensation may be reduced according to an injured person's share of fault, but a person's own fault generally does not bar recovery entirely. Whether and how fault is attributed in any particular matter depends on its facts and may have to be determined by a court of law.

Missouri generally requires vehicle owners to maintain liability insurance that meets minimum requirements established by state law. Missouri policies generally must also include uninsured-motorist coverage, with underinsured-motorist coverage available as an additional option. The coverage available in any particular situation depends on the policies involved and current law.

Missouri does not impose a general cap on compensatory damages in most personal injury cases, but state law does limit certain categories of damages in specific kinds of claims, including limits on non-economic damages in medical malpractice claims, with amounts adjusted over time, and limits on punitive damages. Special rules also apply to claims involving governmental entities. Because these provisions and amounts may change, this page does not state a dollar figure or determine whether any limit applies to a particular matter.

Missouri personal injury lawsuits may be filed in the state's circuit courts, which have general civil jurisdiction, with associate divisions and small claims procedures handling some more limited matters. Many injury claims are resolved through insurance processes or negotiation without a lawsuit being filed. Which court, if any, would be appropriate depends on the nature of the claim, the relief involved, and other facts that a licensed Missouri attorney can evaluate.

A licensed Missouri attorney can explain how rules involving deadlines, fault, insurance, damages, and procedure may apply to a specific situation—something a general reference page cannot do. This platform helps injured people seek connections with participating local personal injury attorney offices in the Missouri communities listed below, based on availability. Requesting a connection is free and carries no obligation to hire an attorney.