Is a Two-Year Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Claims Coming Soon to Missouri?

A change in the statute of limitations on actions for personal injury is working its way through the Missouri Senate. Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), introduced by Senator Dan Hegeman, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and is waiting full consideration of the Senate. SB 3 states that any personal injury actions have a statute of limitation of two years from the time of injury.

The current law in Missouri says that actions for personal injury must be brought within five years of the injury occurring. If passed,  the change in the statute of limitations applies only to causes of action for personal injury that accrue on or after August 28, 2021.

As of July 2021, Missouri was one of only seven states with a statute of limitations longer than three years for personal injury actions. This bill, along with several other introduced bills in the Missouri legislature, could signify that the state is undergoing a new era of tort reform. If this bill is passed and signed into law, plaintiffs will have only two years, rather than the current generous period of five years, to file personal injury claims.

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