Statute of limitations for slip and fall in Missouri

Rule or statute summary

In Missouri, the statute of limitations (SOL) that typically governs a civil injury claim arising from a slip-and-fall is 5 years. In this Missouri snapshot, DocketMath uses that general/default period to help you estimate the filing deadline.

A key point for slip-and-fall cases: the period referenced here comes from Mo. Rev. Stat. § 556.037 and is treated as a general/default rule, not a slip-and-fall–specific statute. In other words, no claim-type-specific sub-rule for slip and fall was found in the citation being used for this snapshot—so the 5-year general period is the baseline the calculator applies.

Practical way to think about the deadline

• Default SOL: 5 years from the relevant starting date (often the date the cause of action accrues, which is frequently tied to the injury date).
• Date choice matters: The “latest filing” date you get will change depending on what you use as the start/accrual date.
• Best use of the tool: Identify and document the date you believe the claim accrued, then run the calculator using that date.

Gentle note (not legal advice): SOL and accrual timing can be fact-specific. This page is for information and planning—not a guarantee of how a court will apply the law to your particular facts.

Citations

This jurisdiction snapshot’s default SOL period comes from:

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 556.037 (general/default SOL period used for this snapshot)
  https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/title-xxxviii/chapter-556/section-556-037/

Use these sources to confirm the authoritative text before finalizing the calculation.

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.100

If an assumption is uncertain, document it alongside the calculation so the result can be re-run later.

What this means for slip-and-fall (in this snapshot)

Because this snapshot uses a general/default period, treat 5 years as the starting baseline unless you identify a reason a different Missouri limitations provision, accrual rule, or a tolling doctrine may apply.

The calculator is designed to reflect the general/default period described above—not every possible exception that could arise from different facts (for example, special parties, government involvement, contract-based theories, or other distinguishing circumstances).

If you’re trying to assess a specific scenario, it can help to confirm that your claim type and legal theory truly map onto the default rule used in this snapshot.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool to estimate the “latest filing” date based on the default 5-year SOL period for Missouri used in this snapshot.

Run the Statute Of Limitations calculation in DocketMath, then save the output so it can be audited later: Open the calculator.

Inputs to provide

When you open the tool, you’ll typically provide:

• Start date / accrual date (the date you want to use as when the clock starts)
• Jurisdiction: **Missouri (US-MO)

Because this snapshot uses the 5-year default, the calculator will effectively compute:

• Latest SOL date ≈ start date + 5 years
  (subject to the tool’s day-count and how it treats timing conventions)

How outputs change when the start date changes

Even a small shift in your chosen start date can change the resulting deadline. For example, using the 5-year baseline:

Quick planning checklist (practical use)

Before relying on the calculator result:

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator