Can I sue for a car accident in Missouri?

Which law covers a car accident claim in Missouri?

governing statute

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Is Missouri a no-fault state?

who pays first

Missouri is an at-fault state, so there is no injury threshold to clear before you can sue: the claim is against the driver who caused the crash and their liability insurer, and the medical bills, the lost earnings and the pain and suffering all come from there. Liability cover is compulsory for every driver here. (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 303.025)

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Across the country. 38 of the 51 states written up answer this the same way as Missouri. Compare every state →

What happens if you were partly at fault for the crash in Missouri?

your share of the fault

Your share of the blame costs you that share and never the claim itself. Forty percent at fault means you collect sixty percent of the damages, and a driver mostly to blame still recovers what is left. (Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983))

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Across the country. 11 of the 51 states written up answer this the same way as Missouri. Compare every state →

How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Missouri?

limit

5 years

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Across the country. Missouri is the only one of the 51 states written up that answers this way. The shortest is 1 year, as in Tennessee; the longest is 6 years, as in Maine. Compare every state →

Which court hears a case like this in Missouri?

which court

Small claims court

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

How much can you sue for in Missouri small claims court?

small claims limit

$5,000

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

What else should you know in Missouri?

also

Five years, well above the national norm of two or three.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.