If you’ve been in a motor vehicle crash, you need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Insurance companies will try to take advantage of you when you’re hurt and need money fast. You may get a much lower offer than the true value of your claim.
That’s where CPY Law can help. Our auto collision attorneys can help steer you through the claims process after a crash. We’ll gather evidence, communicate with the insurance company, and take your case to trial if it’s best for you and your family.
If you feel confused or unsure of what to do after a collision, we’re here. For a free, no-obligation consultation with our motor vehicle crash lawyers in Kansas City, MO, contact CPY Law today.
Why You Need a Kansas City Motor Vehicle Collision Lawyer
There are many national law firms out there who say that they’ll maximize your compensation after a crash. You’ve seen their ads, you know their slogans, but they may not always deliver.
At CPY Law, when we say we’ll do something, we actually do it. But more than that, we’re based here in Kansas City, and that means something.
We Understand the Roads Because We Live and Work Here
We know where crashes happen and are most likely to happen around KCMO. If you’re in a crash on 3-Trails Crossing or around the Triangle of Death, we’ll know how to investigate what happened to strengthen your claim. That same goes for the truck-eating bridge on Independence Avenue. That 12-foot clearance has been a problem for semis and 18-wheelers for decades.
We Know That Crashes Aren’t Always Accidents
When people hear the word “accident,” it may suggest that no one was at fault and that a crash just happened. Yet many motor vehicle collisions aren’t just accidents. They are often caused by someone who was distracted, speeding, reckless, or intoxicated. In those incidents, negligent individuals or companies must be held accountable.
Our motor vehicle wreck attorneys won’t treat you like a number or run you through the mill for a quick payout. We want to work with you, work hard for you, and for you to hold us to our word.
Types of Auto Collisions Our Law Firm Can Handle
CPY Law can handle all kinds of motor vehicle crash claims in Kansas City. If you’re in a wreck and have questions about your legal options, we want to hear from you.
Car Crashes
According to preliminary 2025 statistics from the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, there were 175 fatal car wrecks in the Kansas City area in 2025. If you were hit by another driver or run off the road while in your car, SUV, or pickup, our law firm can help you seek compensation.
Motorcycle Crashes
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recorded 29 motorcyclist fatalities in KC in 2024. Motorcyclists often face unfortunate stereotypes about recklessness when filing injury claims. CPY Law is here to make sure you’re treated fairly and that the facts of your case are heard.
Large Truck Collision
Big rigs, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers have massive blind spots and can cause catastrophic injuries. The same is true of package delivery vehicles, whether it’s the USPS or Amazon. Our law firm can take on negligent commercial drivers and trucking companies that cause crashes in KCMO.
Rideshare Crashes
Rideshares have made it convenient to have a night on the town, catch a game or concert, or get to your flight at KCI responsibly. Yet Uber and Lyft drivers are human, and the road can be unpredictable. Our attorneys can help you if you were hit by a rideshare vehicle, injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft, or are a rideshare driver injured by another driver on the road.
Intoxicated Driving Crashes
Driving while intoxicated (DWI) by alcohol or drugs can severely injure others. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recorded 37 fatal crashes caused by substance-impaired drivers in KC in 2024. Our lawyers can help you hold impaired drivers accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
Distracted Driving Crashes
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety recorded 17 fatal collisions in KC caused by distracted drivers in 2024. CPY Law can ensure drivers are held accountable if they were texting behind the wheel, making a call without a hands-free kit, rubbernecking, or simply not paying attention to the road.
Driver Fatigue Incidents
Driving when you’re sleepy can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. This tends to be a major hazard with truckers and rideshare drivers. If a commercial driver ignored mandatory breaks or refused to exercise good judgment regarding rest, they can be held accountable for hurting others on the road.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Collisions
If you’re in a hit-and-run incident or get into a crash with an uninsured motorist, you may be worried about covering all of your medical expenses, repair bills, and other losses. Our attorneys can help you approach these kinds of collisions with confidence and a clear road map.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes
Multiple parties can be held liable for a car wreck, especially when crashes span multiple lanes on a busy road or highway. When CPY Law works on your auto accident case, we make sure that all parties are held accountable for their role in a collision.
Poor Road Condition Crashes
When roads aren’t properly maintained or are poorly designed, they can be dangerous for drivers. Just think of the potholes on Wornall Road. If a lack of road maintenance or poor road design caused or contributed to a crash, CPY Law can hold local road authorities accountable for their role in the crash.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Motor Vehicle Crash in Kansas City?
Different parties that can be held liable for an auto collision, including:
- The Other Driver: Another driver can be held liable if they were reckless, intoxicated, distracted, fatigued, or otherwise negligent.
- The Owner of the Other Vehicle: The vehicle owner could be held liable if they allowed someone to use their car despite red flags regarding safety on the road.
- A Commercial Driver or Their Employer: The employer of a negligent commercial driver can be held accountable for a crash. This includes rideshare companies, trucking companies, and delivery companies.
- Bars and Restaurants That Serve Alcohol: Bars and restaurants can be held liable under Missouri’s dram shop laws (RSMo § 537.053) if they serve alcoholic beverages to someone who is already visibly intoxicated and that person causes an auto collision.
- Automakers and Parts Companies: When vehicle defects or defective parts cause crashes, we can hold automakers and parts manufacturers accountable.
- Local Municipalities: State and local governments can be held liable for car crashes caused by poor road maintenance, malfunctioning signals, and dangerous road design.
Compensation in a Motor Vehicle Injury Claim
If you’ve been in an auto wreck, you can seek compensation for your losses. This includes economic damages (measurable financial losses) and non-economic damages (subjective and intangible losses).
During the consultation process, our Kansas City motor vehicle accident attorneys will help you understand how much your claim is really worth.
- Medical Bills and Future Care: This includes any emergency care and hospitalization, follow-up visits, surgery, and ongoing needs such as physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and further visits with specialists.
- Vehicle and Property Damage: This includes repair or replacement of a vehicle in a crash as well as any personal items that were damaged in the collision.
- Lost Income and Future Earnings: This includes loss of earnings due to medical leave from work. This also covers loss of future earning potential for auto wrecks that result in long-term or permanent disability.
- Pain and Suffering: This includes mental anguish, PTSD, emotional distress, chronic pain from your injuries, and ongoing sleep disturbances.
- Lower Quality of Life: This includes reduced ability to engage in certain hobbies, a diminished sense of contentment or well-being, and any strain the crash has caused in your interpersonal relationships.
Compensation for Fatal Auto Collisions
If you lost a loved one in a fatal motor vehicle crash, you have our sincere condolences.
When you feel ready to discuss what happened, our attorneys can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit against the liable party. Compensation in a fatal crash lawsuit can help cover funeral costs, grief counseling, and the pain of losing your family member’s companionship.
Partial Liability: How Missouri’s Pure Comparative Fault Laws Affect Compensation
You can still receive compensation if you share some fault for a crash. That’s because Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule (RSMo § 537.765). Pure comparative fault allows people to receive compensation if they were partly or mostly to blame for a crash. The compensation you receive is reduced by your share of liability.
For example, say that you were hit by a big rig and are awarded $100,000. However, it’s determined you’re 20% at fault for the crash. Because of pure comparative negligence, you would still receive $80,000.
The Deadline to File a Motor Vehicle Crash Lawsuit in Missouri
The statute of limitations for motor vehicle crashes in Missouri can vary depending on the nature of the incident.
- For injury crashes, you typically have five years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit (RSMo § 516.120)
- For fatal auto collisions, you typically have three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit (RSMo § 537.100)
There are exceptions to these statutes of limitations. If the motor vehicle crash involved a government entity, you need to file a formal notice of a claim within 90 days of the collision.
While these statutes of limitations seem like a long amount of time, it’s best to contact our Kansas City motor vehicle accident lawyers as soon as possible. CPY Law can start securing evidence, building your case, and negotiating a settlement that fully considers you injuries and financial losses.
Why Choose CPY Law for Your Motor Vehicle Injury Claim
If you’ve been in a motor vehicle crash in Kansas City, our injury attorneys are ready to help. We want you to focus on healing while we handle the fight.
Here’s why KCMO can trust CPY Law after a serious collision.
- Experience and Legal Excellence: The team at CPY Law have decades of combined experience practicing personal injury law. Our focus has always been on working closely with clients and their families to find the right path forward.
- We’re Focused on Accountability: We seek accountability from others and demand the same from ourselves. That’s why we do what we say, and we ask the same of our colleagues and staff. When you hire us, we own the problem and lead the fight forward.
- Free and Confidential Consultations: You don’t have to pay anything or agree to anything just to speak with our attorneys. Consultations are free, confidential, and no-obligation. We want to hear about your injury and help you understand your best options for compensation.
- Clients Pay Us Nothing Unless We Win: CPY Law works on a contingency fee basis. What does that mean? It means that you pay us nothing unless and until your auto wreck case is successfully resolved. If our lawyers don’t win, you don’t pay.
Contact Our Kansas City Auto Accident Attorneys Near You
If you were in any kind of auto collision in KCMO, our law firm is here to provide answers and guidance. We’ll hold the negligent party accountable so you can get the compensation you deserve. We also want you to hold us accountable and make sure we do what we say. For a free consultation with skilled motor vehicle collision lawyers near you, contact our Kansas City law firm today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Motor Vehicle Wrecks in Kansas City
Below are some of the most common questions we’ve received from clients who’ve been in auto collisions.
Why should I see a doctor after an auto accident even if I feel fine?
Not all injuries are apparent right after a collision. You may walk away from a crash feeling okay, but you may have unknowingly suffered a concussion, internal bleeding, organ damage, or soft tissue injuries like whiplash or muscle tears.
Seeing a doctor after a collision allows you to get treated for your injuries before they get worse. This medical evaluation also establishes that your injuries were caused by the crash and provides a record of your symptoms, the severity of the trauma, and your treatment.
What are my legal options if I was hit by an underage drunk driver in Kansas City?
You have a few options if you were hit by an underage drunk driver. You may have a claim against the drunk driver, the drunk driver’s insurance provider, and possibly a bar or restaurant that served the drunk driver and potentially contributed to the accident.
If the underage drunk driver is under 18 years old, you may have a claim against the drunk driver’s parents/guardians or the person who allowed the underage drunk driver to operate a vehicle.
What are “miss-and-run accidents,” and what is a “phantom driver”?
A miss-and-run is when one vehicle gets into a crash without making physical contact with another vehicle. This can happen when a larger vehicle forces a smaller vehicle off the road due to reckless driving, or when a vehicle swerves off the road to avoid hitting another vehicle.
A phantom driver refers to the driver in a hit-and-run or miss-and-run who cannot be identified. For incidents involving a phantom driver, you may be able to recover some compensation through your uninsured motorist (UM) policy.
Who can I sue if I was in a motor vehicle crash caused by poor road conditions in Missouri?
If your crash was caused by bad road conditions, you may be able to file a claim against the Missouri Department of Transportation or the local government. You may also have a claim against any contractors, engineering/design firms, or private companies that worked on the road.
This covers crashes caused by major potholes, broken traffic signals, missing traffic signs, unrepaired road defects, poorly repaired road defects, inadequate drainage along the road, debris left in the road, and improper lane closures.
What are my legal options if I was in a crash across the state line in Kansas?
If your motor vehicle wreck was in Kansas City, KS rather than Kansas City, MO, you may be subject to a shorter statute of limitations, a no-fault/PIP system, and different rules for partial liability.
Because Kansas and Missouri have different laws, it’s important to speak with our auto accident lawyers as soon as possible so you know the best path forward following the crash.
