Licensed in Missouri and Kansas

Short Time Limit for Slip and Fall Cases Against Cities

Most Missouri slip and fall cases have 5 year statutes of limitations. This means that you have five years from the date of injury to make a claim against a property owner when you are injured because of some defect on the property. This gives you plenty of time to make a claim for compensation for such injuries.

However, most large cities in Missouri have special laws that shorten the time limit to make claims against them for slip and falls. These special laws require you to send a notice of your intent to make a claim against them within 90 days of your injury. If you don't send the notice, you are forever barred from making a claim.

These laws apply to large cities in Missouri like St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. There may be other cities to which they apply, but these are the most common. The laws apply to any kind of premises liability claims such as slip or trip and falls, that are a result of some kind of defect in a public walkway or thoroughfare in these cities. The most common type of claim would be a slip or trip and fall on a defect in a sidewalk.

The notice must be sent to the mayor's office of the city on which walkway you were injured. Although not required, it is good practice to send the notice by certified mail so you have proof you complied with the notice requirement. The notice must state, "[the] place where, the time when such injury was received, and the character and circumstances of the injury, and that the person so injured will claim damages therefor from such city." Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 82.210 (1939).

90 days is not a lot of time, so it is very important that you consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Missouri right away if you have been injured in slip or trip and fall accident on a public walkway in a city. If you fail to send the appropriate notice, you will be forever barred from obtaining any compensation for your injuries and losses.

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