Missouri gives you 5 years to file most truck accident claims, and it follows pure comparative negligence. Federal FMCSA rules govern the trucking company; Missouri law governs your injury claim.
Missouri gives you more time to file than almost any other state, and that surprises people. The catch is that the evidence doesn't wait. A Missouri truck accident lawyer still needs to move quickly to lock down what the trucking company has.
I-70 between two freight cities, and I-44 into the Ozarks
I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis is old, busy and mostly two lanes each way, with trucks making up a big share of the traffic. When one lane closes for construction, everything bunches up, and rear-end crashes with semis are common.
I-44 heads southwest from St. Louis through the Ozarks to Springfield and Joplin, with hills and curves that test brakes and patience. Around both big cities, rail yards send drayage trucks out onto local roads all day.
Missouri sits at the intersection of the country's two principal freight axes, with St. Louis and Kansas City both functioning as major rail-to-truck transfer points. I-70 between them is one of the oldest and most heavily trafficked freight corridors in the interstate system.
- I-70 (St. Louis–Columbia–Kansas City)
- I-44 (St. Louis–Springfield–Joplin)
- I-55 and I-57 in the southeast
- I-35 (Kansas City north–south)
- I-29 in the northwest
Missouri truck drivers hurt on I-70 or I-44
If you were driving and got hit in a work zone, take photos of the signs, cones and lane setup before it all changes. Save your ELD data and any dispatch messages from that day. Construction companies and road contractors can sometimes share responsibility for a bad setup.
When a semi hits your family near Kansas City or St. Louis
If you lost someone, Missouri sets out who can bring a wrongful death claim and in what order. Families sometimes argue about this later. It helps to talk it through with a lawyer early so everyone understands who needs to be involved.
Sharing the blame in Missouri
Missouri is a pure comparative fault state. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but no percentage bars recovery outright.
Also see who can be held liable.
What's different about Missouri claims
Before you talk to an adjuster
- Missouri's five-year limitations period for personal injury is one of the longest in the country — but evidence retention cycles still run on the same short schedule, so the practical deadline is far earlier.
- Missouri does not cap compensatory damages in ordinary personal injury actions; caps in medical malpractice are separate.
- Missouri wrongful death claims must be brought by statutorily defined classes of family members in a set order of priority.
The federal layer
An interstate carrier in Missouri answers to the same federal floor as everywhere else: at least $750,000 in liability coverage, hours-of-service limits under 49 CFR Part 395, and a six-month retention floor on driver duty records. Read about preserving the truck's data and the federal safety regulations.
Finding a lawyer in Missouri
Don't let the long filing deadline make you relaxed about calling. Ask the attorney how quickly they send a preservation letter to the carrier.
Network attorneys cover Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, and Joplin. Start a free case review.
Other states
See all states → or check filing deadlines for all 50 states.
Sources
- Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- SAFER Company Snapshot — carrier safety records — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Federal regulations and crash statistics are updated periodically. Figures cited on this page reflect the referenced publications at the time of writing; check the source for the current edition.