What You Should Know About Jefferson City, MO Personal Injury Claims

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’s firm routinely handles personal injury cases in Cole County, including Jefferson City, such as car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability cases, and dog bite incidents.

Have You Suffered a Personal Injury in Jefferson City, MO? Follow Our Comprehensive Guide & Start Your Case With an Aggressive Attorney

Jefferson City, often called “Jeff City” by locals, is the state capital of Missouri, and is situated in the middle of the state between Kansas City and St. Louis. The majority of Jefferson City is located in Cole County; however, a small northern portion of Jefferson City stretches into Callaway County. With nearly 45,000 residents, Jefferson City ranks as Missouri’s 16th most populous city. 

With a notable, and steadily growing population, increased personal injury claims across the Jeff City area are an unfortunate reality. Whether you or a loved one is involved in a car accident on U.S. 50 HW, a motorcycle accident on Dunklin Street, or you’re injured while at a business on High Street, it’s important to understand the unique factors particular to pursuing a Jefferson City, MO personal injury claim or lawsuit. 

Who Investigates a Jefferson City, MO car accident? 

Typically, Jefferson City motor vehicle collisions are handled by the Jefferson City Police Department. As of 2025, the JCPD consisted of 134 total employees with 91 sworn officers. The Jefferson City Police Department often responds to vehicle collisions occurring within city limits. In doing so, the reporting JCPD officer will typically prepare a “Missouri Uniform Crash Report” which contains information such as names and contact information of the parties involved, a crash diagram, probable contributing circumstances to the crash, and statements from the parties. 

In addition to the JCPD, the Missouri State Highway Patrol may also respond to certain motor vehicle crashes in Jefferson City, particularly those occurring on highways such as U.S. 63, U.S. 54, and U.S. 50. For crashes occurring in Jefferson City, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F is assigned to this area. MSHP Troop F is headquartered at P.O. Box 568, Jefferson City, MO 65102. 

Finally, for crashes occurring outside of Jeff City’s city limits, often the Cole County Sheriff’s Department may arrive to the scene of a crash. The Cole County Sheriff’s office is located at 350 E High St., Jefferson City, MO 65101. Similar to both the JCPD and MSHP, the Cole County Sheriff’s Department uses the Missouri Uniform Crash Report to document motor vehicle collision information. 

Who provides medical care for victims of personal injury accidents in, Jefferson City? 

Jefferson City has two major hospitals: SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital (2505 Mission Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65109) and Capital Region Medical Center (1125 Madison St., Jefferson City, MO 65101). Both hospitals have an emergency department and routinely handle immediate medical care for car accident victims. It should be noted, however, both these hospitals are designated Level II Trauma Centers, and as such, catastrophic injury victims will likely need to be taken to the University of Missouri Hospital’s emergency department in Columbia, MO (a Level I Trauma Center). 

After immediate medical care is addressed, these hospitals also have respective inpatient and/or outpatient departments for areas such as intensive care, orthopedics, rehabilitation, pain management and more. 

In addition to SSM Health and Capital Region, Jefferson City has various other medical providers that frequently treat personal injury victims including Jefferson City Medical Group, Select Physical Therapy, Peak Sport & Spine, and Athletico PT. Chiropractors include Koelling Family Chiropractic, Align Chiropractic, and Hollon Family Chiropractic. 

What court will my Jefferson City personal injury claim be filed in? 

While there are exceptions, typically a personal injury case must be filed in the county court where the accident occurred. See RSMo. § 508.010. That means if your car accident occurred in Jefferson City, your case will need to be filed in the Circuit Court of Cole County (or possibly Callaway County if the crash occurred across the county line). The Cole County Circuit Court handles the vast majority of personal injury lawsuits which occur within the county. The Cole County Courthouse is located at 301 E High St., Jefferson City, MO 65102. 

However, occasionally your case may be moved to either another county court or to federal court. For cases filed in Cole County, the parties may request a “change of venue” to another county court if one of the parties can show that the inhabitants of the county are prejudiced against them or if the opposing party has “undue influence” over the inhabitants of the county. See Rule 51.04. As Cole County is over 75,000 in population, parties cannot change venue to another county court “as matter of right” under Rule 51.03. 

Your case may also be transferred to the U.S. Federal Court – Western District, Central Division, if certain conditions are met. Typically, this transfer (formally called “removal”) is done by defendant’s counsel where the parties (plaintiffs and defendants) are from different states and the amount of money in controversy exceeds $75,000. The U.S. Federal Court – Western District, Central Division is located at the Christopher S. Bond Court House (80 Lafayette St., Jefferson City, MO 65101). 

What personal injury law firms service Jefferson City?

Despite only being Missouri’s 16th largest city by population, there is no shortage of personal injury firms servicing Jefferson City. However, just because a firm claims to handle cases in Jefferson City, doesn’t mean they are the best fit for your particular claim. When researching a personal injury lawyer for your injury claim, look for the following factors: 

• Ensure the firm is truly local to mid-Missouri (rather than a KC, STL, or out-of-state firm who is simply taking cases in Jeff City);
• A focus on personal injury and wrongful death law (do not hire a “generalist” or a “jack-of-all trades” lawyer);
• Track record of success (check to see if the attorney has litigated cases in Cole County and check the results he/she has obtained);
• Legal fees charged (fees should generally not exceed 40% of the gross recovery, and they should generally be less if your case is resolved pre-suit); and
• Your lawyer’s role in the case (you want the attorney you meet with to be the actual attorney handling your case – not an associate or paralegal).

In searching for the best Jefferson City personal injury lawyer for your case, start by asking friends and family for a referral. If they have personal experience using a particular injury firm, ask them about their own experience with such firm. Next, do some internet research on your firm. Look up the firm’s qualifications, physical office location, and track record. 

At Duckworth Injury Law, personal injury and wrongful death law is all our firm does. Attorney EC Duckworth grew up in Southern Boone County (just north of Jefferson City) and has built his practice to serve the communities of mid-Missouri. Duckworth Injury Law routinely handles cases in Jefferson City, and is proud to serve as Jefferson City’s go to car accident lawyer, motorcycle accident lawyer, truck accident lawyer,  boat accident lawyer, slip and fall lawyer, or dog bite lawyer.

Reach out to Duckworth Injury Law today for a free consultation on your Jefferson City personal injury case.