PERSONAL INJURY SUIT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE FILING/ ENTERING

In Missouri, if someone else’s negligence caused you to sustain damage, you possess the right to take the offender to court and get monetary compensation for your suffering, medical costs, and lost salaries. Missouri has its own unique laws and regulations regarding how a personal injury lawsuit is managed so you won’t want just any lawyer, you will need one with local experience managing your type of case.

Statute of Limitations

Missouri has a statute of limitations that indicates how long you have to file a personal injury lawsuit with the court after a personal injury. In Missouri, if you do not begin your negligence-based lawsuit within 5 years, your possibility to collect damages as the court will almost certainly decline to hear your case. As well as, all injury claims arising from intentional misconduct must be brought to court within 2 years.

However, in some particular cases, there are circumstances where the statute of limitations can be extended.

Recovering Compensation

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another person, you may be qualified to get compensation in the form of damages. In Missouri, the damages you may obtain fall under three categories, financial out-of-pocket expenses that result from the injury, damages for intangible injuries such as pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and mental anguish, and punitive damages where the money is given as punishment.

Limitations on Compensation

Generally, there are no limitations on compensation that compensate you for your injuries and distress. However, non-economic damages are more subjective and may be restrained by factors surrounding your case. Damages that fall under this category may include the loss of fellowship of your spouse or pain and suffering behind it.

Punitive damages are granted to victims and are meant to prevent others from engaging in grossly negligent conduct. In Missouri, punitive damages cannot exceed $500,000 or five times the judgment, whichever is more; however, remember that state and federal laws in the United States are always changing and there may be some exceptions to these restrictions.

Reporting a Car Accident in Missouri

The law in the state of Missouri requires reporting most car accidents. There are some certain situations when a car accident must be registered including an accident which has resulted in an injury or property damage exceeds a minimum of $500, or a car accident with an uninsured driver, whether it’s on a highway, a road, a parking lot.

Drivers are obligated to report the accident within one month. This time is given in case the driver is not able to file a report at the time of the accident. You may have to explain the reason for the delay in reporting by including a doctor’s certification attesting to the fact that you were physically incompetent of reporting the accident on time.

The car accident will be reported to the Missouri Department of Revenue by filing an official accident report.

Pure Comparative Fault

Missouri executes a system known as pure comparative fault, which diminishes the compensation an injured person can receive by his or her degree of blunder, no matter how large or small the offense is. For instance, even if the person is 99% at fault, he or she may still technically obtain some compensation. Because Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, the estimate remains the same regardless of how much offense is given to either party.

In Missouri, you may be qualified for compensation anytime if you are personally injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. If you think you are eligible for the money, contact me regarding your claims.