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Missouri car accident laws
Missouri gives you five years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)).
Missouri is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
The legal minimum liability coverage in Missouri is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault.
Quoted from Missouri statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Missouri | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Five years after the cause of action accrues | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Five years after the cause of action accrues (injuring goods or chattels) | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Three years after the cause of action accrues (the date of death) | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100(1) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | pure comparative. If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault. | Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) (judge-made; RSMo 537.765 codifies pure comparative fault only for products claims) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 303.020(10) |
| Dog bites | strict liability. A dog owner or possessor is strictly liable when the dog bites, without provocation, someone on public property or lawfully on private property, regardless of the dog's past viciousness; damages are reduced by the victim's own percentage of fault. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 273.036(1) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Missouri can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a Missouri crash
How to get a Missouri crash report ($6.00 per basic motor vehicle crash report (extra fees for certified copies, photos, reconstruction reports, CDs)).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Missouri. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Missouri?
Five years for an injury claim (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)) and five years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Missouri a no-fault state?
No. Missouri is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Missouri?
Missouri follows pure comparative. If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault.
What is the minimum car insurance in Missouri?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Missouri is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)): revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=516.120
516.120. What actions within five years. — Within five years: [...] (4) An action for taking, detaining or injuring any goods or chattels, including actions for the recovery of specific personal property, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract and not herein otherwise enumerated;
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)): revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=516.120
516.120. What actions within five years. — Within five years: [...] (4) An action for taking, detaining or injuring any goods or chattels, including actions for the recovery of specific personal property, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract and not herein otherwise enumerated;
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100(1)): revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=537.100
1. Every action instituted under section 537.080 shall be commenced within three years after the cause of action shall accrue
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) (judge-made; RSMo 537.765 codifies pure comparative fault only for products claims)): static.case.law/sw2d/661/cases/0011-01.json
Insofar as possible this and future cases shall apply the doctrine of pure comparative fault in accordance with the Uniform Comparative Fault Act
- Minimum liability coverage (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 303.020(10)): revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=303.020
(10) "Proof of financial responsibility" , proof of ability to respond in damages for liability, on account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of said proof, arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle, in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and, subject to said limit for one person, in the amount of fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars because of injury to…
- Dog bites (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 273.036(1)): revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=273.036
273.036. Owner liable, when — fine, amount. — 1. The owner or possessor of any dog that bites, without provocation, any person while such person is on public property, or lawfully on private property, including the property of the owner or possessor of the dog, is strictly liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's or possessor's knowledge of such viciousness.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.