Accident Settlement Calculator

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Missouri Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Missouri, you generally have 5 years to file an injury lawsuit, you can recover even if mostly at fault, minus your share, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Missouri claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Missouri rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou can still recover, minus your share of the blame
Details & exceptions

Missouri uses pure comparative fault: an injured person's damages are reduced by their own percentage of fault, but they are never barred from recovering, even if they were more at fault than the defendant (for example, a driver found 80 percent at fault can still recover 20 percent of their damages). The rule comes from the Missouri Supreme Court's decision in Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983), a motorcycle-car collision case that replaced contributory negligence, last clear chance and humanitarian negligence with comparative fault modeled on the Uniform Comparative Fault Act. For product liability claims, RSMo 537.765 applies the same pure comparative fault principle by statute. Bills in the 2025 and 2026 sessions on several (rather than joint and several) liability and related fault rules (e.g. SB 826 of 2025, HB 2714 and SB 1513 of 2026) were not found among enacted bills.

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit5 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

RSMo 516.120(4): 5 years for 'taking, detaining or injuring any goods or chattels' or 'any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract.' This covers car accident injury and vehicle damage claims. Wrongful death: 3 years after the death (RSMo 537.100). Claims against public entities: sovereign immunity is waived for injuries from public employees' negligent operation of motor vehicles (RSMo 537.600.1(1)), but recovery is capped under RSMo 537.610, which the Department of Commerce and Insurance adjusts every year: for 2026, $532,148 per person and $3,547,658 per occurrence. SB 916 (2026, signed; effective 2026-08-28) amended 537.600 and 537.610, mainly to extend sovereign immunity and these caps to private contractors on MoDOT projects. Recent bills to cut the general 5-year period: HB 68 (2025, to 2 years) passed the House but not the Senate. In 2026 the cut, negotiated down to 3 years, was attached to the childhood sexual abuse bill HB 1664 (Seitz). That bill stalled on the Senate informal calendar in April 2026, and secondary reporting says it died when the session adjourned on 2026-05-15. SB 1799 (2026, to 2 years) never left committee. Secondary sources (session wrap-ups by Missourinet and the Missouri Chamber) list no statute-of-limitations change among enacted 2026 bills.

Compare deadlines in all states →
Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. RSMo 303.190.2(2): an owner's policy must insure for $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in one accident, $50,000 for two or more persons in one accident (subject to the one-person limit), and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in one accident. RSMo 303.020(10) repeats these amounts in the definition of 'proof of financial responsibility.' The Department of Revenue and the Department of Commerce and Insurance consumer pages give the same 25/50/25 minimums. The DOR Driver Guide, Chapter 13, still shows $10,000 for property damage, which appears to be out of date. Bills to raise the property damage minimum (HB 107 of 2023 and HB 1425 of 2024, to $35,000; a 2026 Senate bill, to $50,000) were not enacted.

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary car accident injury cases. Missouri's noneconomic damages cap in RSMo 538.210 applies only to actions against health care providers (medical malpractice). It was reinstated by statute in 2015 after Watts v. Lester E. Cox Medical Centers, 376 S.W.3d 633 (Mo. banc 2012), struck down the earlier version as violating the right to a jury trial for common-law claims. Punitive damages are separately capped by RSMo 510.265 (greater of $500,000 or 5x the net judgment), but that is not a noneconomic cap. Claims against public entities (including negligent operation of government vehicles) are subject to the overall sovereign immunity limits in RSMo 537.610 ($532,148 per person / $3,547,658 per occurrence for 2026). No 2025 or 2026 bill creating a general noneconomic damages cap was found among enacted bills.

Uninsured motorist coverageRequired
Details & exceptions

Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory. RSMo 379.203.1 says no automobile liability policy covering a vehicle registered or principally garaged in Missouri may be issued unless it includes uninsured motorist coverage at least equal to the bodily injury limits in RSMo 303.030 ($25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident). The Department of Commerce and Insurance lists UM at $25,000/$50,000 as required, covering injuries from uninsured and hit-and-run drivers but not vehicle damage. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional (RSMo 379.204 governs it when purchased), and the department does not list it among the required coverages.

Worked example: a typical Missouri car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Missouri: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Missouri uses pure comparative negligence: your recovery is reduced by your 20% share of fault.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Missouri

The 5-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road90 days (city road defects only)

Missouri has no general notice rule for crashes with government vehicles; the normal 5-year deadline applies. But if a street, bridge or sidewalk defect in a city caused the injury, written notice must reach the mayor within 90 days.

RSMo 82.210, notice to cities of 100,000+ (Casemine copy)RSMo 77.600, notice to third-class cities (FindLaw)RSMo 79.480, notice to fourth-class cities (Justia)RSMo 537.600, sovereign immunity exceptions (Missouri Revisor)

If the injured person is a child

Missouri pauses the clock until age 21 for most injury claims, so a child usually has until age 26 to sue over a car crash.

RSMo 516.170, disability of minority (Missouri Revisor)

How fast a Missouri insurer must respond

Missouri rules require insurers to acknowledge a policyholder's claim within 10 working days, finish investigating within 30 days, and accept or deny within 15 working days of complete forms. Any claimant's letters must get a reply within 10 working days.

20 CSR 100-1.030, acknowledgment of pertinent communications (Cornell LII)20 CSR 100-1.050, prompt, fair and equitable settlement (Cornell LII)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Missouri crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Missouri?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Missouri claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs.
Is Missouri an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Missouri's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Missouri car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary car accident injury cases. Missouri's noneconomic damages cap in RSMo 538.210 applies only to actions against health care providers (medical malpractice). It was reinstated by statute in 2015 after Watts v. Lester E. Cox Medical Centers, 376 S.W.3d 633 (Mo. banc 2012), struck down the earlier version as violating the right to a jury trial for common-law claims. Punitive damages are separately capped by RSMo 510.265 (greater of $500,000 or 5x the net judgment), but that is not a noneconomic cap. Claims against public entities (including negligent operation of government vehicles) are subject to the overall sovereign immunity limits in RSMo 537.610 ($532,148 per person / $3,547,658 per occurrence for 2026). No 2025 or 2026 bill creating a general noneconomic damages cap was found among enacted bills.
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Missouri?
Missouri follows pure comparative negligence, so you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Missouri?
Generally 5 years for personal injury and 5 years for property damage. RSMo 516.120(4): 5 years for 'taking, detaining or injuring any goods or chattels' or 'any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract.' This covers car accident injury and vehicle damage claims. Wrongful death: 3 years after the death (RSMo 537.100). Claims against public entities: sovereign immunity is waived for injuries from public employees' negligent operation of motor vehicles (RSMo 537.600.1(1)), but recovery is capped under RSMo 537.610, which the Department of Commerce and Insurance adjusts every year: for 2026, $532,148 per person and $3,547,658 per occurrence. SB 916 (2026, signed; effective 2026-08-28) amended 537.600 and 537.610, mainly to extend sovereign immunity and these caps to private contractors on MoDOT projects. Recent bills to cut the general 5-year period: HB 68 (2025, to 2 years) passed the House but not the Senate. In 2026 the cut, negotiated down to 3 years, was attached to the childhood sexual abuse bill HB 1664 (Seitz). That bill stalled on the Senate informal calendar in April 2026, and secondary reporting says it died when the session adjourned on 2026-05-15. SB 1799 (2026, to 2 years) never left committee. Secondary sources (session wrap-ups by Missourinet and the Missouri Chamber) list no statute-of-limitations change among enacted 2026 bills.
What is the minimum car insurance in Missouri?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. RSMo 303.190.2(2): an owner's policy must insure for $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in one accident, $50,000 for two or more persons in one accident (subject to the one-person limit), and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in one accident. RSMo 303.020(10) repeats these amounts in the definition of 'proof of financial responsibility.' The Department of Revenue and the Department of Commerce and Insurance consumer pages give the same 25/50/25 minimums. The DOR Driver Guide, Chapter 13, still shows $10,000 for property damage, which appears to be out of date. Bills to raise the property damage minimum (HB 107 of 2023 and HB 1425 of 2024, to $35,000; a 2026 Senate bill, to $50,000) were not enacted.
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Missouri?
90 days (city road defects only). Missouri has no general notice rule for crashes with government vehicles; the normal 5-year deadline applies. But if a street, bridge or sidewalk defect in a city caused the injury, written notice must reach the mayor within 90 days.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Missouri?
Missouri rules require insurers to acknowledge a policyholder's claim within 10 working days, finish investigating within 30 days, and accept or deny within 15 working days of complete forms. Any claimant's letters must get a reply within 10 working days.

Related

Official sources