What Should You Do After a Car Accident in Missouri?
After a car accident in Missouri, stop, check for injuries, call 911, exchange information, and document the scene before you leave.
- Missouri law requires drivers to stop and share their information after a crash.
- On state highways, drivers in crashes with no injuries must make a reasonable effort to move their vehicles out of traffic.
- A crash involving an uninsured driver may require a written report to the Department of Revenue within 30 days.
Every crash is different, so the right next steps depend on what happened and who was hurt.
Knowing what to do after a car accident in Missouri can protect your health, your legal rights, and your ability to recover compensation. The minutes after a crash are confusing, and it is easy to forget a step that matters later.
This guide walks through what Missouri law requires, what differs if your crash occurred in St. Louis City or St. Louis County, and how to protect a potential claim in the weeks that follow. We wrote it based on the questions our clients ask most after a crash.
Key Takeaways about What to Do After a Missouri Car Accident
- Missouri law requires drivers involved in a crash to stop and provide their name, address, and driver's license information.
- In St. Louis, the responding police agency depends on whether the crash happened in the city, in St. Louis County, in a county municipality, or on an interstate.
- Some cities that follow Missouri's Model Traffic Ordinance require a written crash report within five days if police did not investigate at the scene.
- Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, so a driver who shares some blame may still recover a reduced amount.
- Most Missouri personal injury claims must be filed within five years, while wrongful death claims generally have a three-year limit.
What Does Missouri Law Require You to Do at the Scene?
Missouri law requires you to stop, stay at the scene, and share your information with the other driver or a police officer. Leaving before doing so can lead to criminal charges under Section 577.060 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, Missouri's leaving-the-scene law.
Stop and Check for Injuries
Your first job is safety. Turn on your hazard lights, check yourself and your passengers, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or if the crash is blocking traffic.
If someone is seriously injured, avoid moving them unless they are in immediate danger, such as from fire. Paramedics are trained to move injured people without causing more harm.
Share Your Information
Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, driver's license numbers, license plate numbers, and insurance details with every driver involved. Take a photo of the other driver's license and insurance card so nothing gets copied down wrong.
Stay calm and polite, but keep the conversation short. Avoid saying "I'm sorry" or guessing about what caused the crash, because those words can be used later to argue you accepted blame.
Move Your Vehicle When It Is Safe and Legal
On Missouri state highways, drivers in a crash with no injuries or deaths must make every reasonable effort to move their vehicles out of the regular flow of traffic. That duty comes from Section 304.151.
This rule often comes up on St. Louis interstates like I-64 (Highway 40), I-270, I-44, I-55, and I-70, where a stopped car poses serious danger. If anyone is hurt, leave the vehicles where they are and wait for the police.
If the Other Driver Leaves the Scene
If the other driver drives away, do not chase them. Call 911, and write down everything you remember, including the license plate, vehicle color, make, model, and direction of travel.
A hit-and-run crash may still be covered. Depending on your policy, your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply when the at-fault driver cannot be identified.
Who Responds to a Car Accident in St. Louis?
The police agency that responds to a St. Louis crash depends on exactly where it happened. This matters because the responding agency is the one that holds your crash report.
- St. Louis City: The City of St. Louis is an independent city, separate from St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department handles crashes within city limits.
- Unincorporated St. Louis County: The St. Louis County Police Department generally responds, and it also serves some municipalities by contract.
- County municipalities: Dozens of cities in St. Louis County, such as Clayton, Kirkwood, and Florissant, have their own police departments.
- Interstates and state highways: The Missouri State Highway Patrol often investigates crashes on major highways, though local police may respond too.
Before you leave the scene, ask the officer which agency they work for and write down the report number. That one step can save you days of calls later.
How to Document the Crash Before You Leave
Good documentation at the scene is one of your strongest tools if an insurance company disputes what happened. If you are physically able, use your phone to capture:
- Photos of all vehicles from several angles, including license plates
- Skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and road signs
- Weather and lighting conditions
- Your visible injuries, such as cuts or bruises
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses
- Nearby businesses or homes that may have security cameras
If you are too hurt to take photos, ask a passenger, a witness, or a family member who arrives at the scene to help. You can also return later to photograph the location, though conditions may have changed.
Video footage often gets erased within days or weeks, so noting camera locations right away is important. If you have a dashcam, save the footage and make a backup copy.
Why a Medical Visit Matters Even If You Feel Fine
Seeing a doctor soon after a crash protects both your health and your claim. Adrenaline can hide pain, and injuries to the neck, back, or brain may not show symptoms for hours or days.
Insurance companies pay close attention to gaps in treatment. If you wait weeks to see a doctor or skip follow-up appointments, an adjuster may argue your injuries were minor or caused by something else.
If your injuries are serious, the ambulance crew will decide where to take you. In the St. Louis area, that may be a Level I trauma center such as Barnes-Jewish Hospital or SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. For less urgent symptoms, urgent care or your primary care doctor are good starting points.
Follow your doctor's treatment plan and keep every appointment you can. Consistent treatment creates a clear record that connects your injuries to the crash.
Reporting a Car Accident in Missouri
Depending on the crash, you may need to report it to local police, the Missouri Department of Revenue, and your insurance company. Each has its own rules.
Reporting to the Police
Calling the police from the scene is the simplest way to create an official record. Some Missouri cities follow the state's Model Traffic Ordinance, which requires drivers to submit a written report to the local police department within 5 days when a crash causes injury, death, or $500 or more in property damage and no officer investigated at the scene, as described in Section 300.115.
Because St. Louis County includes so many separate municipalities, local rules can vary from one city line to the next. If police did not come to the scene, call the local department to ask what it requires.
Reporting to the Missouri Department of Revenue
If your crash involved an uninsured driver and caused injury, death, or more than $500 in property damage, Missouri law requires a written report to the Department of Revenue within 30 days. The Department of Revenue's accident information page explains how to file.
This report can also be relevant to an uninsured motorist claim. A driver's failure to file the required report can serve as evidence that the driver was uninsured.
Notifying Your Insurance Company
Most auto policies require you to notify your insurer promptly after a crash. Give the basic facts, such as the date, location, and vehicles involved, and avoid guessing about fault or the extent of your injuries.
How Do You Get a Crash Report in St. Louis?
You get your crash report from the agency that responded. Reports usually take several days to become available after the crash.
For crashes in St. Louis City, involved parties can request reports from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Records Service Center at 1915 Olive St., or through the department's online public records portal. For crashes in St. Louis County, request the report from St. Louis County Police or the municipal department that responded.
If the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated, you can request the report from the Patrol. Once you have the report, read it carefully and contact the agency if you spot an error.
Talking to Insurance Companies After a Missouri Crash
Missouri is an at-fault state, which means the driver who caused the crash, and that driver's insurer, is generally responsible for the harm. Every Missouri driver must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage under Section 303.190.
Insurance adjusters may sound friendly, but their job is to control risk and limit what the company pays. That is true even when the adjuster works for your own insurer.
- You do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company.
- Be cautious about signing medical releases that give an insurer access to your entire health history.
- Early car accident settlement offers often come before anyone knows the full cost of your injuries.
Taking a little time before you respond to an adjuster can protect your claim. You can always tell them you will follow up after you have spoken with a lawyer.
Handling Vehicle Repairs and Property Damage
Property damage claims often move faster than injury claims. Take photos of your car before any repairs begin, get a written estimate, and keep receipts for towing, storage, and rental cars.
If the insurer declares your car a total loss, ask how it calculated the value. You can share your own research on comparable vehicles if the offer seems low.
If the other driver has no insurance, you may have a claim under your own policy. Missouri requires uninsured motorist coverage on auto policies, and we explain how that process works in our guide to what happens when the at-fault driver has no insurance in Missouri.
How Fault Affects Your Missouri Car Accident Claim
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, described in Section 537.765. If you are found partly at fault, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover.
For example, if your damages total $100,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you could recover $80,000. Insurers know this rule, and some try to assign drivers a larger share of blame to reduce what they pay.
Clear evidence from the scene, witness statements, and the police report all help answer those arguments. That is one reason the early steps in this guide matter so much.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Missouri?
Most car accident injury claims in Missouri must be filed within five years under Section 516.120. If a loved one died in the crash, the family generally has three years to file a wrongful death claim under Section 537.100.
These deadlines can feel far away, but evidence fades quickly. Talking with a lawyer early gives your legal team the strongest chance to preserve video, vehicle data, and witness memories.
Protecting Your Claim in the Weeks After a Crash
What you do in the weeks after a crash can affect your claim as much as what you do at the scene. A few habits make a real difference:
- Stay off social media. Insurers review public posts, and a single photo can be taken out of context.
- Keep a daily note on your phone. Record your pain levels, missed work, and the activities and family moments you had to skip.
- Save every receipt. Medical bills, prescriptions, mileage to appointments, and rental car costs all count.
- Keep damaged property. Hold on to a broken phone, car seat, or helmet until your claim is resolved.
That daily note helps show how the crash changed your life beyond the medical bills. We call this lifestyle impact, and we include it in every demand we send to an insurance company.
FAQs about What to Do After a Car Accident in Missouri
Here are answers to a few more questions drivers ask after a Missouri crash.
Do I have to call the police after a minor accident in Missouri?
Missouri does not require a police call for every fender bender, but calling creates an official record that can help later. If police do not come, check whether your city requires a written report and file your own report with the local department.
What if the other driver asks to handle it without insurance?
It may seem easier to settle privately, but injuries and hidden vehicle damage often show up later. Once you agree to handle it informally, it can be harder to pursue a full claim.
Can I still file a claim if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Under Missouri's pure comparative fault rule, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, but it is not eliminated.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
First offers often arrive before you know the full extent of your injuries or future medical needs. Once you accept and sign a release, you generally cannot ask for more later.
What if I was hit by a rideshare driver?
Crashes involving Uber or Lyft drivers can involve several insurance policies, depending on whether the driver was logged into the app. Missouri law sets specific insurance requirements for rideshare drivers during trips.
Do I need a lawyer after a car accident?
Not every crash requires a lawyer. If you were injured, if fault is disputed, or if an insurer is delaying or denying your claim, a free consultation can help you understand your options.
Talk to Powell Law Firm After a Missouri Car Accident
You should not have to figure out the next steps alone. At Powell Law Firm, we are not a settlement factory. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, and insurance companies know we follow through.
If you were hurt in a crash, our St. Louis car accident lawyers are available 24/7 to listen and explain your options. Call (314) 293-3777 or schedule a free consultation, and remember there are no fees until we win.
Kenneth Powell
Founding & Managing Attorney
Attorney Kenny Powell currently focuses the majority of his legal practice on personal injury. His experience as a judicial intern in both the Missouri Court of Appeals and the United States District Court, give him a unique understanding of State and Federal law respectively. Mr. Powell enjoys treating every client, “as he would want to be treated” and will fight for your rights.
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