Is There a Cap on Jury Verdicts in Missouri Personal Injury Cases?

Understanding Caps on Jury Verdicts in Missouri

When the at-fault party’s insurance company fails to pay you what you deserve following a serious car, truck, motorcycle, or boat accident, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit and take your case to a jury trial. At a jury trial, the jury will listen to evidence regarding your damages, and then they will decide what the value of your damages is through their verdict. However, is there a cap on what a Missouri jury can award a plaintiff in a personal injury verdict?

In most Missouri personal injury cases, there is no cap on what a jury can award you as damages in their verdict. 

Rather, the jury is instructed to award the plaintiff “such sum as [it] believes will fairly and justly compensate plaintiff for any damages [it] believe[s] plaintiff sustained and is reasonably certain to sustain in the future that the collision directly caused or directly contributed to cause.” See Missouri Approved Instructions 4.01 (2002 Revision) and 19.01 (1986 Revision).

Put differently, if a jury believes you have sustained damages in the amount of $10 million, Missouri law permits—and jury instructions direct—the jury to return a verdict in that amount. In determining your total damages, the jury will consider the following factors:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Past and future lost income
• Scarring, disfigurement, or other permanent afflictions
• Past and future pain, suffering, and loss of quality of life

After considering each of these damages categories, the jury will combine them into a single total damages award. 

That said, there are important exceptions. While most personal injury cases do not have a damages cap, there are exceptions for certain personal injury case types which do have a damages cap. Personal injury cases that have a cap on jury verdicts include:

Medical Malpractice Cases – Caps on Non-Economic Damages

Medical malpractice (also known as medical negligence) is a type of personal injury case whereby a plaintiff alleges that a healthcare professional failed to meet the accepted “standard of care” in their care of the plaintiff, thereby causing the plaintiff physical injury or death. Examples of medical malpractice cases include botched surgeries, failure to diagnose a terminal illness, and administering incorrect medication. 

Pursuant to RSMo. § 538.210, Missouri law places a cap on the non-economic damages that a plaintiff can recover in a medical negligence case. Non-economic damages include compensation for non-monetary losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life. As of 2026, Missouri’s cap on non-economic damages is $481,493 for non-catastrophic injuries and $842,614 for catastrophic injuries. These caps are adjusted annually for inflation and change from year to year. Catastrophic injuries for purposes of this cap include an injury resulting in quadriplegia, paraplegia, loss of two or more limbs, a brain injury, an injury causing irreversible failure of a major organ, or severe vision loss.  See RSMo. § 538.205.

While there is a cap on non-economic damages in a Missouri medical malpractice case, there is no cap on economic damages (the objectively verifiable financial losses you have incurred, including lost income and medical bills).

Personal Injury Cases Against a Governmental Entity – Sovereign Immunity

The second major exception to the non-cap of jury verdict awards in Missouri personal injury cases is for personal injury cases against governmental entities. In Missouri, governmental entities are generally immune from civil liability for personal injury claims. This principle is known as “sovereign immunity,” which generally shields governmental entities from being sued without their consent.

In Missouri, there are two primary exceptions to sovereign immunity, whereby a plaintiff is permitted to sue a governmental entity: 

1. Injuries arising from a government employee’s operation of a motor vehicle while in the course and scope of their employment; and
2. Injuries caused by the dangerous condition of a governmental entity’s property. 

If either of these exceptions are met, a plaintiff can proceed with pursuing a personal injury case in Missouri. However, even though a plaintiff can file a personal injury case against the governmental entity under these scenarios, a plaintiff’s damages are still capped under Missouri law. This means that regardless of the extent of a plaintiff’s damages, the plaintiff can recover no more than the sovereign immunity damages limit set for the particular year. 

As of 2026, Missouri’s sovereign immunity damages cap is $532,148 for any one person in a single accident and $3,547,658 for all claims arising out of a single accident. These caps are also adjusted annually for inflation and change from year to year.

Understand How Damage Caps May Apply to Your Missouri Personal Injury Case With Help From Attorney EC Duckworth

While Missouri law allows juries to fully compensate injury victims in many cases, important exceptions—such as medical malpractice and claims against governmental entities—can significantly limit what you can recover. Knowing whether a damages cap applies to your case can make the difference between a fair recovery and leaving substantial compensation on the table.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in Missouri, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney before accepting any settlement or filing a lawsuit. At Duckworth Injury Law, EC Duckworth evaluates every case to determine whether damages caps apply and aggressively pursues the maximum recovery the law allows.

Call today for a free consultation or contact us online to learn your rights and options.