St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers

Most people don’t think much about personal injury law until something happens. Then it happens fast. Medical bills start showing up, the other driver’s insurance company calls, and the days blur together while you’re trying to heal and figure out what to do next.

Cofman Townsley Attorneys at Law is a Greater St. Louis firm serving injured people across Missouri. Our legal team has spent decades helping people through moments like this one, and we’re available 24/7. If you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer in the St. Louis area, we can help you understand where you stand and what a claim might look like.

You don’t pay us anything unless we recover money for you. When you’re ready, contact us today for a free consultation.

What Is a Personal Injury Case Under Missouri Law?

A personal injury case is a civil claim seeking compensation for harm caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongful act. If a driver, property owner, employer, or manufacturer failed to act with reasonable care and that failure hurt you, Missouri law lets you seek money damages for what you’ve lost.

To succeed in a personal injury claim, you generally have to show four things. The person or company you’re pursuing owed you a duty of care. They breached that duty. The breach caused your injury. And the injury led to real damages, whether that’s medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, or a combination.

Those four elements sound clean on paper, and sometimes the facts are simple: a driver ran a red light and hit you, a property owner ignored an obvious hazard on the premises, or a manufacturer shipped a defective product. Other cases are more complicated. Some injuries take weeks to fully surface, and some cases involve more than one responsible party. When you’re not sure, a free consultation costs nothing.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Greater St. Louis

Every case is different, but many follow similar patterns. Below are some of the most common types of personal injury cases we handle across the St. Louis area:

Car Accidents: From rear-end collisions to multi-vehicle crashes, car accidents are one of the most common reasons people call us after an injury.
Truck Accidents: Wrecks involving commercial trucks often produce more severe injuries and additional layers of liability and insurance, including trucking companies and their insurers.
Motorcycle Accidents: Riders are more exposed on the road, so even a low-speed motorcycle crash can cause serious injuries.
Uber and Lyft Accidents: Rideshare accident claims get complicated fast because multiple insurance policies may apply depending on the driver’s status at the time of the crash.
Boat Accidents: Injuries from boating accidents often involve unique safety and liability questions, especially on Missouri’s rivers and lakes.
Train Accidents: Crashes and collisions at rail crossings can cause catastrophic injuries and usually require a detailed investigation.
Pedestrian Accidents: When drivers fail to yield or stay attentive, pedestrians can suffer serious injuries with little protection from the impact.
Bicycle Accidents: Cyclists share the road with vehicles but face greater risk of injury when drivers are distracted or fail to give them enough space.
Premises Liability: Property owners can be held responsible when unsafe or poorly maintained conditions, like wet floors, broken stairs, or inadequate lighting, lead to injuries on their property.
Slip and Fall Injuries: Property owners may also be responsible when unsafe conditions lead to falls and injuries.
Dog Bites: Animal attacks can cause lasting physical and emotional harm, particularly for children.
Catastrophic Injuries: Severe injuries can affect every part of a person’s life, from mobility to long-term care needs.
Wrongful Death Claims: When a loved one’s death is caused by someone else’s actions, Missouri law gives certain family members the right to pursue a claim.
Product Liability: Defective or unsafe products, from everyday consumer items to specialized equipment, can cause serious injuries, and manufacturers may be held responsible.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Your Case

A lawyer’s job is to take pressure off your plate and build the strongest case the facts allow. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Investigate what happened. We can pull police reports, request surveillance footage before it’s overwritten, interview witnesses while their memories are fresh, and consult with reconstruction professionals when the facts of a crash are disputed.
Preserve evidence. Skid marks fade, cameras loop, and vehicles get repaired or scrapped. Getting a lawyer involved early can help ensure the physical evidence that matters is still available when your case is negotiated or tried.
Identify every responsible party. Some cases involve one at-fault driver. Others involve a trucking company, a maintenance contractor, or a manufacturer whose product failed. Naming the right defendants is often the difference between a partial recovery and a full one.
Calculate the full value of your claim. That includes current medical bills, but also future care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity if you can’t return to the same work, out-of-pocket costs, and non-economic losses like pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Handle the insurance company. You never have to speak directly to the other side’s adjuster once we’re representing you. We can push back on lowball offers, respond to disputes about liability, and negotiate for a settlement that reflects the real impact of what happened.
Prepare the case for trial when needed. Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but preparing every case as though it might be tried is what puts real pressure on an insurance carrier to settle fairly. If a fair offer never comes, we can take the case to a Missouri courtroom.

Steps in a Missouri Personal Injury Lawsuit

Every case moves at its own pace, but most Missouri personal injury cases follow a similar path from the first phone call through resolution.

Free consultation. You explain what happened, we listen, and we tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing. There is no cost and no obligation.
Investigation and evidence. We pull records, contact witnesses, and bring in reconstruction professionals or medical opinions when needed.
Medical treatment. We can’t and won’t rush your recovery. We track every appointment, treatment, and bill as evidence of what the injury has cost you.
Demand and negotiation. Once your doctors have a clear picture of your recovery, we send the insurance company a demand package laying out the case and the damages. Many cases resolve during this back-and-forth.
Filing suit if needed. If the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, we file a lawsuit. Filing suit does not automatically mean trial. Most filed cases still settle before a jury hears them.
Discovery. Both sides exchange evidence and take depositions. This phase can take months in cases with disputed liability or catastrophic injuries.
Mediation or trial. Many cases resolve through mediation, where a neutral third party helps both sides find a number they can accept. If the case doesn’t settle, we present it to a Missouri jury.

Timelines vary. A straightforward crash claim may resolve in months. A catastrophic injury case with multiple defendants may take longer.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

Injury severity depends on the type of accident, the force of the impact, and the body part affected. Some heal in weeks. Others require multiple surgeries, lengthy rehabilitation, or lifelong care. Some of the injuries we see most often in Greater St. Louis personal injury cases include:

Traumatic Brain Injuries: Concussions and more severe brain injuries can affect memory, mood, sleep, and the ability to work for months or years.
Spinal Cord Injuries: Injuries to the spine can lead to long-term or permanent changes in mobility and often require extensive medical care and rehabilitation.
Broken Bones and Fractures: These injuries are common in crashes, falls, and workplace accidents. Some require surgery, hardware, and months of rehabilitation.
Fire and Burn Injuries: Burn injuries often require extensive treatment and can have lasting consequences. Fires, explosions, and chemical or electrical accidents can cause burns that require skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and extended hospital stays.
Neck and Back Injuries: Herniated discs, whiplash, torn ligaments and muscles, and chronic pain conditions can linger long after the visible injuries have healed.
Internal Injuries: Organ damage and internal bleeding can be life-threatening and may not be obvious at the scene.
Amputations: Loss of a limb can happen at the scene of a serious accident or later, when doctors determine an injury can’t be saved.
Psychological Trauma: PTSD, anxiety, and depression after a serious injury are real harms, and they can be part of the damages you seek.

Feeling fine after an accident doesn’t mean you weren’t hurt. Injuries to the brain, neck, and internal organs can take days or weeks to surface. Getting checked out promptly, whether by your doctor or at a Level I trauma center like Barnes-Jewish or St. Louis University Hospital, creates the medical record you’ll need if the injury proves serious.

Compensation You May Seek in a Missouri Personal Injury Claim

Compensation in a personal injury claim generally falls into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages. Both may apply depending on the facts of your case.

Economic damages cover measurable financial losses: past and future medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket expenses tied to the injury.

Non-economic damages address the broader impact an injury has on your life. They can include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent disability or disfigurement, and loss of consortium for a spouse. When an injury results in death, Missouri wrongful death damages compensate the surviving family for the loss.

Missouri is a pure comparative fault state. That means you may be able to recover damages even if you were partly at fault for the accident. Your award would be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. Missouri does not cap most personal injury or wrongful death damages, but limits apply in some situations, such as claims against government entities and punitive damages.

Missouri Personal Injury Laws to Know

A handful of Missouri laws can shape the outcome of a personal injury claim. Missing a deadline or misunderstanding fault rules can significantly affect what you can recover.

Five-Year Statute of Limitations: Most Missouri personal injury lawsuits must be filed within five years of the injury under RSMo 516.120. This is longer than in most states, but the clock still runs and evidence gets harder to preserve over time.
Three-Year Deadline for Wrongful Death: Missouri wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of the date of death under RSMo 537.100. This is a separate, shorter deadline than the general personal injury statute of limitations.
Pure Comparative Fault: Under Missouri case law, a claimant can recover damages even if partly at fault, with the award reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to them. That percentage often becomes the central fight in a disputed case.
Joint and Several Liability: Under RSMo 537.067, a defendant found 51% or more at fault may be held responsible for the full judgment. Defendants below 51% are generally responsible only for their allocated share.
Missouri Auto Insurance Minimums: Missouri requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage under the Missouri Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law. Available coverage limits often determine what a serious injury claim looks like for recovery.

Shorter notice deadlines can apply to claims against Missouri government entities. If your injury involved a public agency, a municipal vehicle, or public property, talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. The notice-of-claim window can be weeks rather than years.

What to Do After a Personal Injury in St. Louis

The steps you take in the hours and days after an injury can affect both your recovery and any future claim.

Get medical care immediately. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis University Hospital, and Mercy Hospital St. Louis are Level I trauma centers serving Greater St. Louis. Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is an additional option for injured children. Follow through on all recommended treatment, even if you feel fine at first.
Report what happened. For a car crash, call the police and get a report on file. St. Louis Metropolitan Police cover the city, St. Louis County Police cover unincorporated county incidents, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigates many highway crashes. For a premises injury, report it to the property owner in writing.
Document and preserve. At the scene, take photos of vehicles, road conditions, and visible injuries, and get names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Afterward, keep medical bills, treatment notes, receipts, and any documentation of lost income. All of it becomes evidence of what the injury cost you.
Don’t give a recorded statement. The other driver’s insurance company may call within days of the crash asking for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and doing so before talking to a lawyer can hurt your case.
Stay off social media. Adjusters may review claimants’ public accounts, and even a vacation photo can be used to challenge the severity of an injury.
Don’t accept the first offer. Insurance companies often make quick, lowball offers before the full extent of an injury is clear. Before you sign anything, talk to a lawyer. The consultation costs nothing.

Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer at Your Free Consultation

A free consultation is your chance to figure out whether you and the firm are on the same page. Bring these questions to any Missouri personal injury lawyer you’re considering, including us:

What experience does the firm have with cases like mine?
Who at the firm will handle my case day to day, and how often will I hear from them?
How do you charge, and what percentage is the contingency fee?
What costs and expenses come out of a recovery, and how are those handled?
Based on the facts I’ve described, what range have you seen in similar cases? (No lawyer can promise an outcome, but an honest range gives you a sense of what to expect.)
How long do cases like mine typically take?
What’s the next step if we decide to work together, and what do you need from me?

If a lawyer can’t answer these clearly, that tells you something. When you’re ready to bring them to us, we can answer every one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to questions injured people often ask about Missouri personal injury claims.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Missouri?

You generally have five years from the date of the injury under RSMo 516.120. Wrongful death claims have a shorter three-year deadline under RSMo 537.100, and claims against government entities can have notice deadlines measured in weeks, not years. Starting early preserves evidence and protects your options.

Do I Have to Go to Court if I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

You probably won’t have to. Most Missouri personal injury cases settle before trial, and many settle before a lawsuit is even filed. That said, we prepare every case as though it might be tried, because that preparation helps push insurance companies to offer a fair settlement.

Can I Still Recover Damages if I Was Partly at Fault for the Accident?

Yes. Missouri is a pure comparative fault state, so you can still recover damages even if you were partly to blame. Your award is reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you, and that percentage often becomes a central issue we work to minimize.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer at Cofman Townsley?

You pay nothing up front. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay us anything unless we get money for you. Our fee comes out of the recovery at the end, and case costs are advanced by the firm during the case. The consultation is free.

What Compensation Can I Recover in a Missouri Personal Injury Case?

It depends on the facts, but Missouri law allows recovery of both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In fatal cases, wrongful death damages compensate surviving family members.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take to Resolve?

It can take anywhere from a few months to several years. Straightforward cases with clear liability and modest injuries can settle in months. Cases with disputed liability, multiple defendants, or catastrophic injuries often take longer, especially if a lawsuit has to be filed.

What if the Person Who Hurt Me Doesn’t Have Insurance?

You may still have options. If the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may cover your losses. If a business or property owner was involved, their commercial policy may apply. A free consultation is the fastest way to find out what’s available in your situation.

What Is the Difference Between a Personal Injury Claim and a Lawsuit?

A claim is the process of seeking compensation from an insurance company, and it can be resolved through negotiation without a lawsuit. A lawsuit is the formal court action filed when the insurance company won’t offer fair terms. Filing suit doesn’t mean the case will go to trial. Most filed cases still settle before a jury is involved.

Talk to a St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Case

After a serious injury, you have enough to deal with: recovery, missed work, unfamiliar paperwork, and an insurance company that may have started building its case the day you got hurt. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Cofman Townsley Attorneys At Law is a Greater St. Louis firm, available 24/7, serving injured people across Missouri. You don’t pay us anything unless we get you money. When you’re ready, contact us for a free consultation, and we can walk through your options together.