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Your Jefferson City Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Missouri an injury to the person that no other section covers must be filed within five years (R.S.Mo. § 516.120). The trial court for Callaway County sits in Fulton, at 5 E. 2nd Street, Fulton, MO 65251. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Nobody plans for the call that follows an accident. Whether you were hurt in a crash, a fall or something else in Jefferson City, the weeks afterward bring decisions that feel bigger than they should. Here is what Missouri law says, in plain terms, so you can ask better questions.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Missouri injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
Questions To Ask A Jefferson City Injury Attorney
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- The deadline. Ask for the specific last day to file, and which Missouri limit applies to your kind of claim. Five years is the general period for an injury to the person, and a wrongful death action has three years (RSMo § 516.120, RSMo § 537.100).
- Claims against the government. Ask whether a public body could be responsible. Missouri waives sovereign immunity for injuries from the negligent operation of motor vehicles by public employees and for injuries from a dangerous condition of public property (RSMo § 537.600), and to the extent of the liability insurance the public body buys (RSMo § 537.610).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask which rule applies to your kind of claim. For a product liability claim, fault chargeable to the plaintiff reduces the award in proportion and does not bar recovery (RSMo § 537.765), and for other claims the jury’s percentages decide what each defendant owes (RSMo § 537.067).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
Common Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Whether the collision was minor or serious, the same early steps help: get checked by a doctor, photograph the vehicles and the scene, exchange insurance information and keep any repair estimates.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. Missouri’s wrongful death statute lets the spouse, children or parents of the person who died sue when the death results from an act or circumstance that would have entitled that person to recover had death not ensued, and the time to sue is three years (RSMo § 537.080, RSMo § 537.100). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
Injured in Jefferson City? Get matched with an attorney now.
Who Pays When Fault Is Split
If an insurer says the accident was partly your fault, that does not settle the question. For a claim that a product was defective, Missouri’s statute says any fault chargeable to the plaintiff diminishes the damages in proportion and does not bar recovery (RSMo § 537.765).
That statute covers product liability claims. For a crash or a fall, ask the attorney which rule applies to your facts, and how the jury’s percentages would change what each defendant owes (RSMo § 537.067).
Special Rules To Know
Missouri limits punitive damages. An award may not exceed the greater of $500,000 or five times the net amount of the judgment awarded to the plaintiff against the defendant (RSMo § 510.265). The limit does not apply when the State is the plaintiff, or when the defendant pleads guilty to or is convicted of a felony arising out of the acts or omissions pled by the plaintiff (RSMo § 510.265).
Ask whether the facts of your case could support a punitive claim at all.
Time Limits To Know
The standard deadline depends on the kind of claim: five years for an injury to the person that no other section covers (RSMo § 516.120), three years for wrongful death (RSMo § 537.100), and two years for assault, battery or false imprisonment (RSMo § 516.140).
When a defendant is absent from the state so that personal service cannot be had, that time does not count toward the wrongful death period (RSMo § 537.100). Because the limits differ by claim, ask early which one fits your facts.
Insurance Minimums in Missouri
The other driver’s policy may be smaller than your bills. Under RSMo § 303.190, the limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury or death, and $25,000 for property of others.
When your losses are larger, look at your own coverage. A policy delivered in Missouri must provide uninsured motorist coverage, and an insured vehicle counts as uninsured when its insurer cannot pay because of insolvency (RSMo § 379.203).
Local Courts in Jefferson City
The Census Bureau lists Jefferson City in more than one county: Callaway County and Cole County. For Callaway County, the Missouri court directory shows the 13th circuit court in Fulton, at 5 E. 2nd Street, Fulton, MO 65251. For Cole County, the Missouri court directory shows the 19th circuit court in Jefferson City, at 301 East High Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
Records matter later. Get the complete chart and an itemized bill from each place that treated you, and write down the date of every visit, including any transfer to another facility.
What Happens When You Send The Form From Jefferson City
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Missouri. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to give the other insurer a recorded statement?
Not right away. You may decline a recorded statement until you have talked to someone about your options, and saying so is fine.
Is a claim against a public body different in Missouri?
It is. Sovereign immunity is waived for vehicle operation, for dangerous conditions of public property (RSMo § 537.600) and to the extent of liability insurance the body buys (RSMo § 537.610), and the amount that can be awarded is limited (RSMo § 537.610).
Do I need an attorney who works near Jefferson City?
It helps. An attorney who handles cases near Jefferson City knows the local courts and providers, and the form on this page matches you with one.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Missouri?
Generally five years (RSMo § 516.120). Assault, battery and false imprisonment have two years (RSMo § 516.140), and a wrongful death action has three years (RSMo § 537.100).
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Possibly. A product liability claim allows recovery reduced by your share (RSMo § 537.765). For other claims, an attorney has to tell you which rule applies, and percentages of fault among defendants are used under RSMo § 537.067.
Is there a limit on punitive damages in Missouri?
Yes. An award may not exceed the greater of $500,000 or five times the net judgment awarded to the plaintiff against the defendant, with exceptions such as a felony conviction or guilty plea arising out of the same acts (RSMo § 510.265).
How much liability coverage must a Missouri driver carry?
The limits are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property of others (RSMo § 303.190).
What documents should I keep after an injury?
Medical records and bills, photographs, the police or incident report number, pay stubs showing missed work, repair estimates and every letter or email from an insurer.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Missouri Communities
If your injury happened outside Jefferson City, one of these pages may fit better.
