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There is a time limit on injury claims in Missouri, and the insurance company knows exactly when it runs out. Answer five questions and we will connect you, free, with an independent attorney licensed in Missouri.
Limited
Time to file most injury claims in Missouri. Miss it and the claim is gone
Shorter
Government vehicle and public entity claims run on their own, tighter clock
Varies
Coverage carried by the at-fault driver is often well below the real cost
Pure
Missouri follows pure comparative negligence
This page describes Missouri law in general terms only. It is not legal advice, deadlines and rules change, and exceptions apply. Confirm anything affecting your own claim with an attorney licensed in Missouri.
The rule that shapes almost every Missouri claim is pure comparative negligence. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, but it is never wiped out. Someone found 90% responsible can still recover the remaining 10%. Insurers know this, which is why so much of the early conversation is about shifting blame onto you.
Missouri sets a strict limit on how long you have to bring a claim, with a far shorter period where a city, county or state vehicle is involved. Missing either generally ends the matter no matter how strong the case was.
What the at-fault driver carries is usually the practical ceiling on a claim, and state minimums do not survive contact with a hospital admission. Your own uninsured and underinsured coverage matters more than most people realise until they need it.
Missouri applies pure comparative fault, so recovery is reduced by your share rather than barred, no matter how the blame divides.
Jackson and St. Louis County practice differs from the rural circuits, and I-70 and I-44 carry continuous interstate freight.
Where a case would be heard changes what it is worth. Insurers evaluate the same injury differently depending on the county, the bench and the jury pool, which is why an attorney who regularly works your part of Missouri is worth more than one who does not.
Each one is common, and each one is avoidable.
The first offer usually arrives while you are still being assessed. That timing is deliberate: it is far cheaper to settle an injury before it has been properly diagnosed than afterwards.
Pure comparative negligence reduces recovery by your share rather than barring it, so a driver who was substantially responsible still recovers a proportion. People write off claims here that are worth pursuing.
Claims involving a city, county or state vehicle run on their own much tighter clock. It is routinely missed by people who reasonably assumed the ordinary deadline applied.
Five questions from you. Everything after that is handled.
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There is a deadline, and a shorter one for government claims. Knowing which applies is the first thing an attorney establishes.
You are matched with an independent attorney licensed in Missouri for your type of accident. We do not give legal advice or evaluate the claim ourselves.
The insurer deals with them from that point. You stop being the person who has to answer carefully worded questions.
Valuation waits for the medical record, because that record is what the claim is ultimately worth arguing from.
Fault is argued properly. Under pure comparative negligence the percentage is not a detail, it is the outcome.
Contingency representation is standard for accident work in Missouri, and our service is free to you throughout.
We match you with someone licensed in Missouri who works your area.
Not on the list? We cover the whole state, including rural counties where fewer firms compete.
Missouri sets a firm deadline running from the date of the accident, and a separate, considerably shorter one where a government vehicle or public entity is involved. Both are strict, and missing either generally ends the claim no matter how strong it was. An attorney can confirm which applies to your situation before anything expires.
Missouri follows pure comparative negligence. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, but it is never wiped out. Someone found 90% responsible can still recover the remaining 10%. Insurers know this, which is why so much of the early conversation is about shifting blame onto you.
Probably yes. Pure comparative negligence reduces recovery by your share rather than barring it, so a driver found substantially responsible can still recover the remaining portion. It is worth having someone look rather than assuming.
No. What generally matters is where the accident happened. If you were injured in Missouri while passing through or visiting, an attorney licensed in Missouri is usually the right fit, and handling a claim remotely is routine.
Possibly. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply, including in hit-and-run cases where the driver was never identified. Many people do not realise they carry it.
Our service is free to you — attorneys pay us for the connection. Most Missouri accident attorneys work on contingency, so their fee comes from any recovery rather than from you upfront. Confirm the arrangement directly before signing anything.
Free, about a minute, no obligation. We connect you with an independent attorney licensed in Missouri.
ClaimMVA Now is a free matching service, not a law firm.