Injury claims
Personal injury claims
When someone else's carelessness hurt you, the insurance company is already working its side. Ted works yours.
- Recorded statement
- Not yet
- Nothing recorded for the other side's insurer before you talk to your lawyer
The answer
Your filing deadline
The day you were hurt goes in. The last day to file comes out.
Count your days
Five years to file
Most Missouri injury claims must be filed within five years of the injury. § 516.120
The rule
5 years
Type the day you were hurt and the page counts it for you.
What Ted handles
Claims Ted handles
- Car and truck crashes
- Injuries caused by carelessness
- The other driver's insurer
- Medical bills and lost wages
How it moves
Two clocks, side by side
What the case is doing and what you or your license are doing at the same moment. Tap a step.
- 1
Day 0
The crash
The claim: The police report and the other driver's insurance information start the claim.
What you do: Get checked out, even if you feel fine. Photograph everything. Do not post about it.
- 2
The first week
The insurance company calls
The claim: The other driver's adjuster will ask for a recorded statement and may offer a quick number.
What you do: Do not give a statement or sign anything before talking to your lawyer.
- 3
Weeks to months
Treatment and records
The claim: Medical bills, lost wages and the record of your recovery are the claim.
What you do: Keep every bill and every appointment.
- 4
When treatment ends
The demand and the negotiation
The claim: The claim is put to the insurer with the records behind it.
What you do: You decide whether an offer is enough. If not, a lawsuit is the next step.
- 5
Five years from the injury
The filing deadline
The claim: Most Missouri injury claims must be filed within five years of the injury, and some much sooner.
What you do: Call long before that date.
Personal injury: common questions
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance company?
Not before you talk to your lawyer. The adjuster's job is to settle for less, and a recorded statement given in the first week follows the claim to the end.
How long do I have to file?
Most Missouri injury claims must be filed within five years of the injury. Some claims have much shorter deadlines, and a claim against a city, county or state agency has its own rules.
Source: RSMo 516.120
What does a claim cover?
Medical bills, lost wages and the harm the injury did to your life, backed by the records. The records are the claim, which is why treatment and paperwork matter from the first day.
Do I have to go to court?
Most claims resolve with the insurer. If the offer is not fair, a lawsuit is the next step, and you decide whether to take it.
The law this page cites
Read at its source on 2026-10-29.
Hurt by someone else? Talk to Ted.
What happens next
Ted calls you back
Ted or his paralegal will call you back at the number you give. Have your paperwork near the phone if you can.
You talk through what happened
What you were charged with, where, and what the paperwork says. Ted tells you what the charge means and what comes first.
You decide
If it makes sense to work together, Ted explains the fee and what he does next. If not, you still leave knowing where you stand.
Rather talk than type? Call, and the office sets a time.