If you were involved in a car accident in Missouri, you should immediately stop at the scene, call 911, check for injuries, get medical treatment, exchange driver and insurance information, photograph the vehicles and crash scene, collect witness contact information, report the accident to your insurance company, and speak with an experienced Missouri car accident lawyer before accepting a settlement or giving the other driver’s insurance company a detailed recorded statement. These steps can help protect both your health and your right to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, future medical treatment, pain and suffering, vehicle damage, permanent injuries and other accident-related losses. Missouri car accident claims can become complicated when fault is disputed, multiple vehicles are involved, the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, you need surgery or ongoing medical care, or the insurance company tries to minimize your injuries or blame you for the crash. Sansone & Lauber represents car accident victims throughout St. Louis and across Missouri and helps injured people investigate the collision, preserve evidence, identify available insurance coverage, document the full value of their damages and fight insurance companies for the compensation the evidence supports. If you were hurt in a Missouri car accident, acting quickly can make a major difference because evidence can disappear, witnesses become harder to locate and insurers begin protecting their interests immediately.
What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Missouri?
Follow these 10 steps.
1. Stop and Call 911
Do not leave the scene.
Move to a safe location when necessary to prevent another collision, and call 911 so police and emergency medical personnel can respond.
Motorists involved in accidents should stop, help anyone injured, contact police and remain until law enforcement says they may leave.
If anyone may be injured, tell the dispatcher.
2. Get Medical Treatment Immediately
Your health comes first.
Do not assume you are fine simply because you can walk away from the crash.
Car accident injuries can include:
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Herniated discs
- Neck and back injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
- Fractures
- Internal injuries
- Nerve damage
- Soft-tissue injuries
Some symptoms develop or worsen after the adrenaline from the crash wears off.
If you have pain, dizziness, headaches, numbness, weakness or any other concerning symptoms, get evaluated.
Sansone & Lauber explains more here: What to Do at the Hospital After a Car Accident.
3. Photograph Everything
If you can safely do so, use your phone.
Take photographs and video of:
- All vehicles
- Vehicle damage
- License plates
- The entire accident scene
- Skid marks
- Broken glass
- Traffic lights
- Stop signs
- Road conditions
- Weather conditions
- Visible injuries
- Anything blocking visibility
Do not depend on someone else to preserve the evidence.
Cars get repaired.
Debris disappears.
Video gets erased.
The scene can look completely different tomorrow.
4. Get the Other Driver’s Information
Exchange:
- Full name
- Address
- Driver’s license information
- License plate number
- Vehicle information
- Insurance company
- Insurance policy information
Drivers should exchange identifying, vehicle and insurance information after a crash.
Take pictures of the driver’s insurance card and license when appropriate rather than relying only on handwritten information.
5. Find Witnesses Before They Leave
Independent witnesses can become extremely important when drivers disagree about what happened.
Get:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address
Do this at the scene if possible.
A witness who saw the other driver run a red light, change lanes illegally or look at a phone may become critical evidence later.
6. Do Not Admit Fault
Stick to the facts.
Do not say:
- “I’m sorry.”
- “I didn’t see you.”
- “Maybe I was going too fast.”
- “It was partly my fault.”
You may not know everything that caused the collision.
Missouri applies pure comparative fault, meaning an injured person’s damages can be reduced by that person’s percentage of responsibility.
That gives insurers a financial reason to shift as much blame onto you as possible.
Do not help them do it.
7. Notify Your Insurance Company — But Be Careful With Statements
Report the accident promptly under the terms of your policy.
But there is an important difference between reporting the crash and giving an extensive recorded statement about injuries and fault.
Be especially cautious when the other driver’s insurance company calls you.
The adjuster may sound friendly.
That does not make the adjuster your advocate.
Statements such as:
“I’m feeling okay.”
can later become arguments that you were not badly injured.
If the insurer is already questioning your injuries or offering very little, read: The Insurance Company Is Lowballing My Injury Claim in Missouri — What Should I Do?.
8. Follow Through With Medical Treatment
Going to the emergency room once is not enough if you continue to have symptoms.
Follow your doctor’s recommendations.
Attend appointments.
Complete physical therapy.
See specialists when referred.
Tell your doctors accurately what you are experiencing.
Insurance companies frequently use gaps in medical treatment to argue that:
- You recovered
- Your injuries were minor
- Something else caused your condition
- You failed to minimize your damages
Medical treatment protects your health and creates documentation of how the collision affected you.
9. Preserve Every Document Related to the Crash
Create a folder.
Save:
- Police reports
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Prescription receipts
- Photographs
- Videos
- Witness information
- Insurance letters
- Emails
- Repair estimates
- Tow bills
- Rental-car receipts
- Pay stubs
- Documentation of missed work
Also keep track of how your injuries affect your everyday life.
Can you sleep?
Work?
Exercise?
Drive?
Pick up your children?
Perform household tasks?
Those details can matter when determining the full value of a personal injury claim.
Learn more: How Much Is Your Car Accident Case Worth in Missouri?.
10. Talk to a Missouri Car Accident Lawyer Before You Settle
Not every minor property-damage accident requires an attorney.
But you should strongly consider speaking with a lawyer if:
- You were injured
- You went to the emergency room
- You need ongoing treatment
- You may need surgery
- You missed work
- Fault is disputed
- You suffered a brain or spinal injury
- The other driver was uninsured
- A commercial vehicle was involved
- The insurance company wants a recorded statement
- You received a quick settlement offer
- The insurer is blaming you
- Your injuries may be permanent
Read: Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Car Crash in Missouri?.
What Should I NOT Do After a Missouri Car Accident?
Avoid these mistakes:
- Do not leave the scene.
- Do not ignore pain.
- Do not wait weeks to seek necessary medical treatment.
- Do not admit fault.
- Do not argue with the other driver.
- Do not post details of your injuries or activities on social media.
- Do not sign a broad medical authorization without understanding it.
- Do not accept a quick settlement before knowing the extent of your injuries.
- Do not assume the insurer’s first offer is the full value of your claim.
A fast settlement can become an expensive mistake.
Once you execute a final release, you generally cannot return later simply because you discovered that you need surgery or your injury became permanent.
What Insurance Is Required in Missouri?
Missouri currently requires motorists to maintain minimum automobile liability coverage of:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 property damage per accident
Missouri auto policies must also include uninsured-motorist bodily-injury coverage at statutory minimum levels.
If the person who hit you has no insurance, do not automatically assume there is no recovery available.
Your own uninsured-motorist coverage may apply.
Learn more about Missouri uninsured motorist and insurance claims.
Do I Have to Report a Missouri Accident Involving an Uninsured Driver?
Potentially, yes.
Missouri Revised Statutes §303.040 provides for a written report to the Director of Revenue within 30 days when a qualifying Missouri accident involves an uninsured motorist and causes injury, death or more than $500 in property damage to one person.
Because reporting requirements depend on the circumstances, obtain legal advice if you discover that the other driver was uninsured.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Missouri?
Missouri’s statute of limitations provides a five-year period for many personal-injury actions, including actions for injury to a person, but exceptions and shorter deadlines can apply depending on the defendant and claim.
Do not interpret that as permission to wait five years.
Your evidence has a much shorter life expectancy than your statute of limitations.
Surveillance footage may disappear within days.
Witnesses become harder to locate.
Vehicles are repaired or destroyed.
Memories fade.
The faster an investigation begins, the better the opportunity to preserve evidence.
How Much Is My Missouri Car Accident Case Worth?
There is no legitimate universal average.
The value of a Missouri car accident case can depend on:
- Severity of your injuries
- Medical treatment
- Surgery
- Future medical care
- Lost wages
- Future loss of earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Your percentage of fault
- Available insurance coverage
- Strength of the evidence
A minor injury that completely resolves is very different from a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury or permanent disability.
Read our full guide: How Much Is Your Car Accident Case Worth in Missouri?.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first thing I should do after a car accident in Missouri?
Stop, get to safety, call 911 and check for injuries. Then obtain medical care, exchange information and document the accident scene.
Should I call the police after a Missouri car accident?
Yes. The Missouri Department of Revenue’s accident guidance tells motorists to contact police after an accident.
Should I go to the hospital even if I feel okay?
If you have symptoms or believe you may have been injured, seek prompt medical evaluation. Some crash injuries are not immediately obvious.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
You can provide basic information, but be cautious about recorded statements, broad medical authorizations and settlement discussions before you understand your injuries and legal rights.
What if the other driver has no insurance?
Missouri requires uninsured-motorist bodily-injury coverage in automobile liability policies. Depending on your policy and circumstances, your own UM coverage may provide compensation.
Can I recover money if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Missouri follows pure comparative fault, so partial responsibility generally reduces damages by the percentage of fault rather than automatically eliminating the claim.
How much does it cost to speak with Sansone & Lauber?
The initial consultation is free. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no upfront attorney fee and attorney fees are paid only if compensation is recovered under the fee agreement.
Injured in a Missouri Car Accident? Protect Yourself Now
The insurance company may start investigating the crash immediately.
So should you.
Sansone & Lauber represents people injured in car accidents throughout St. Louis and Missouri.
We investigate the crash.
We preserve evidence.
We identify available insurance.
We document your injuries and financial losses.
And when an insurance company refuses to treat you fairly, we prepare to fight.
Learn more about our Missouri Car Accident Lawyers or review our Verdicts and Settlements.
Call Sansone & Lauber right now at 314-863-0500.
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Don’t wait. Waiting can hurt your case.
Evidence disappears.
Witnesses disappear.
Insurance companies start protecting themselves immediately.
Make sure someone is protecting you.
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