Top 5 Common Types of Personal Injury Accidents Around Mizzou’s Campus in Columbia, MO

About the Author

Ethan Charles (“EC”) Duckworth is the founding attorney of Duckworth Injury Law. EC earned his law degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia, where he graduated in the top 10 of his class and served as an Editor of the Missouri Law Review. EC currently serves as a member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) and is a graduate of the Ross T. Roberts Trial Academy. EC has represented hundreds of injury victims throughout his career resulting in tens of millions of dollars in compensation recovered. EC routinely handled personal injury cases occurring around Mizzou’s campus in Columbia, MO. Follow EC Duckworth on LinkedIn.

Stay Safe on the MU Campus With These Tips & Contact Our Columbia PI Attorney if You Are Injured

The University of Missouri, or Mizzou as it is affectionately referred to, is the flagship university for the State of Missouri. Located in the heart of Columbia, Missouri and near Columbia’s downtown, Mizzou’s campus is a bustling area filled with thousands of students, staff, and visitors. From electric scooters traveling down Rollins St. to the evening rush hour on College Avenue, the potential for injury-causing accidents is everywhere. Add Mizzou’s student population of over 32,000 alone, and it’s clear that personal injury-causing accidents are an inevitable reality around campus. 

As such, it’s important to understand the most common types of personal injury accidents around Mizzou – and what students and families should know to stay safe. Let’s look at the most common types of personal injury accidents around Mizzou’s campus in Columbia, MO:

#5: Parking Lot and Campus Shuttle Accidents 

To accommodate its large student and staff population, Mizzou’s campus hosts an array of parking lots and parking structures. From parking garages such as Virginia Avenue Garage and Turner Avenue Garage, to parking lots like Reactor Lot, there are constantly vehicles and buses moving throughout these parking areas. 

These parking garages and lots can often be a common area for low-speed crashes involving other vehicles or pedestrians. With tight spaces, poor visibility, and students rushing to find a spot to make it to class on time – there’s routine fender benders and pedestrian impacts. Campus shuttles also make routine stops at the more remote student parking lots, which also plays a role in these accidents. Sudden stops, improper loading, and driver negligence can cause passenger injuries or pedestrian collisions. 

Safety Tip: Stay alert when walking through lots or waiting for shuttles. Even low-speed impacts can cause serious injuries like whiplash or concussions.

Legal Insight: If a campus vehicle or parking lot hazard contributed to your injury, liability may rest with the driver, the university, or a third-party maintenance company.

#4: Bicycle Accidents

Cycling is often favorite way for students and Columbia residents to commute and unwind. But bike riders face constant risk from inattentive drivers and unsafe roads.

For example, we often see “dooring” incidents downtown, where a driver opens their car door into a cyclist’s path, or collisions caused by cars failing to yield when turning. Even on popular trails such as the MKT and Katy Trail, poor signage and mixed traffic can lead to serious injury-causing accidents.

Safety Tip: Equip your bike with proper lights and reflective gear — and never assume a driver sees you.

Legal Insight: Missouri law typically gives cyclists the same rights (and responsibilities) as motorists. If a driver hits you, they may be liable for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

#3: Scooter and E-Bike Crashes

Electric scooters and bikes have become a popular way for Mizzou students to get around quickly. Services like Bird and Lime make short commutes easy, but they also bring unique risks.

Scooter riders are often injured when hitting a defective condition on the sidewalk or roadway (uneven pavement, potholes, riding on sidewalks), when trying to carry a passenger on the scooter, or when drivers fail to see them and/or yield to them. Often with top speeds of 12-15 MPH, these electric scooters can lead to some serious falls. 

Common Injuries: Fractures, concussions, and road rash.

Legal Insight: If a driver’s negligence caused your scooter or e-bike crash, you may have a claim against them through their auto insurance. Even if no other vehicle was involved, the scooter company or property owner could be liable for defective equipment and/or unsafe conditions.

#2: Pedestrian Accidents on Campus and at Busy Crosswalks 

College Avenue, Rollins Street, Broadway, and Ninth Street near downtown are some of Columbia’s busiest pedestrian areas. Between students hurrying to class, visitors searching for parking, and distracted drivers checking their phones, crosswalk accidents are an all-too-common occurrence in CoMo.

While Mizzou’s campus is typically closed to through traffic during the daytime on schooldays, students often ignore barricades and attempt to drive through campus roadways anyway. Further, even while the campus is closed to public vehicles, Mizzou’s own maintenance vehicles are often still commuting through campus during these hours. 

Many of these crashes happen when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians or when students cross outside designated areas. Poor lighting or rainy weather can make visibility even worse at night.

Safety Tip: Always use marked crosswalks and be alert, even when you have the right of way.

Legal Insight: Under Missouri law, drivers must exercise the highest degree of care to avoid hitting pedestrians. If you’re struck in a crosswalk, the driver may be liable for your injuries and medical expenses.

#1: Car Accidents Near Campus Hotspots

Car accidents are the most frequent type of injury we see around Mizzou. High-traffic corridors like Stadium Boulevard, Providence Road, and College Avenue are especially prone to rear-end collisions, left-turn crashes, and drunk or distracted driving accidents.

These wrecks are heightened during heavy traffic causing events like Mizzou game days, campus events, or late-night weekends downtown when traffic and pedestrian activity spike.

Safety Tip: Avoid distracted driving and stay alert near intersections where students often cross mid-block.

Legal Insight: Missouri follows a “pure comparative fault” rule — meaning even if you’re partly at fault, you can still recover damages proportionate to the other driver’s responsibility.

Work Towards Compensation for an Injury Near Campus in Columbia, MO. Contact Duckworth Injury Law to Review Your Case

We’re more than just a law firm — we’re your neighbors. Our mission is to make Columbia’s roads, sidewalks, and trails safer for everyone.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident near the University of Missouri campus, contact Duckworth Injury Law today for a free consultation. We’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve — so you can focus on healing and getting back to campus life.