2026 Legislative Update

LEGISLATIVE & LEGAL UPDATE

Spring 2026  •  Missouri 2026 Legislative Session

The Missouri General Assembly is deep into its 2026 session, and a number of proposed laws could have significant consequences for accident victims, workers, nursing home residents, and property owners across the state. As your legal advocates, we want to keep you informed about the changes being debated in Jefferson City — and what they might mean for you and your family.

Below we have summarized the most important proposals touching on personal injury, nursing home accountability, property taxes, workers’ compensation, and labor law. If you have questions about how any of these issues affect your situation, please do not hesitate to call our office.

⚖️  PERSONAL INJURY & AUTO/TRUCKING ACCIDENTS

Shorter Deadlines to File Your Lawsuit?

Perhaps the most consequential proposal for injury victims this session involves the statute of limitations — the deadline by which a lawsuit must be filed after an accident. Currently, Missouri gives injury victims five years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. That five-year window is one of the most generous in the country, giving injured people time to recover, understand the full extent of their injuries, and seek legal counsel.

Several bills this session seek to dramatically shorten that window:

• HB 2182 (Rep. Mackey) would cut the deadline from five years to just two years.
• HB 1610(Rep. Billington) would reduce it from five years to three years.
• HB 1645 (Rep. Overcast) is a similar bill also proposing a two-year limit.

Proponents of these bills argue that Missouri’s five-year window is an outlier compared to neighboring states and that shorter deadlines encourage victims to bring cases while evidence is still fresh. Business groups and insurance companies strongly support these changes.

However, trial attorneys and consumer advocates warn that two years is often not enough time — especially after a serious accident. Many victims are still treating injuries, dealing with lost income, and navigating insurance battles well into their second year of recovery. If these bills pass, the practical effect would be that many legitimate injury victims lose their right to sue before they even realize the clock has run out.

Comparative Fault Reform: New Bar on Recovery

Another bill drawing attention is HB 2714 (Rep. Diehl), which would change how fault is allocated in personal injury cases. Under this proposal, if a jury finds that the injured party was 50% or more at fault for causing the accident, that person would be completely barred from recovering any compensation — even from a defendant who was also significantly at fault.

Currently, Missouri applies a “comparative fault” system: if you were partially at fault, your damages are reduced proportionally. Defendant insurance companies frequently argue that injured parties share blame in order to reduce payouts. This bill would give insurers a powerful new tool to deny claims entirely.

Time-Limited Settlement Demands Loophole

SB 1120 (Sen. Trent) and HB 2927 (Rep. Parker) address a specific tactic being used against accident victims. In 2017, Missouri passed a law giving insurance companies time to review settlement demands. Plaintiff attorneys began sending demands without time limits to trigger bad-faith claims. These new bills would close that loophole. While this sounds like procedural cleanup, victims’ attorneys warn it could limit leverage against insurers who delay fair settlements.

🏥  NURSING HOME ABUSE & ELDER CARE

Historic Nursing Home Accountability Bill

In a long-overdue move, the Missouri legislature is considering a bill that would require nursing homes and long-term care facilities to carry liability insurance — something that is shockingly not currently required under Missouri law.

Sponsored by Sen. Adam Schnelting (R-St. Charles), SB 910 was inspired in part by his own family’s experience: his mother suffered head injuries while receiving rehabilitative care after a stroke, and the family struggled to find accountability. The bill would also increase criminal and civil penalties for abuse or neglect of an elderly person in a care facility.

Key provisions of this bill include:

• Requiring long-term care facilities to maintain liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence.
• Increasing penalties — civil and criminal — for confirmed abuse or neglect of a resident.
• Improving transparency requirements so families can obtain answers when incidents occur.

Opponents, including the Missouri Health Care Association, argue the insurance mandate could drive up premiums and force small rural facilities out of business. Some have noted that annual premiums have already skyrocketed in recent years — one administrator testified his premium jumped from $73,000 to $230,000 in a single year.

Supporters counter that families deserve protection and that facilities shouldn’t be able to say, “Well, you’re out of luck. I don’t have insurance.’” As of early March 2026, the bill remains active and is generating significant debate.

🛡️  WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Major Changes Proposed to Workplace Injury Rules

Several significant workers’ compensation bills are moving through the legislature this session, and the stakes are high for injured workers across Missouri.

Bills That Would Restrict Workers’ Rights

HB 2375 (Rep. Christ), which has already passed the House and moved to the Senate, would make several pro-employer changes to the workers’ compensation system:

• Requires other insurance benefits received by the worker (such as health insurance) to be deducted from workers’ comp awards — potentially reducing your total recovery.
• Narrows injury definitions, making it more difficult to prove a compensable accident.
• Creates faster mechanisms for employers to seek dismissal of claims.

Similarly, SB 1385 (Sen. Trent) proposes to redefine what qualifies as a compensable “accident” by removing the word “unexpected,” and would expand the definition of occupational disease to include repetitive trauma injuries — which could cut both ways for workers depending on the circumstances.

Bill That Would Restore Workers’ Rights

On the other side of the debate, SB 865 (Sen. Beck) would repeal major portions of the 2005 workers’ compensation overhaul that significantly restricted employee claims. Specifically, it would remove the “prevailing factor” requirement — the current rule that requires a worker to prove that the workplace was the primary cause of their injury. Under SB 865, workers would face a lower burden of proof.

Business groups are fiercely opposed to SB 865, arguing it would open the system to abuse. Workers’ rights advocates argue the 2005 changes went too far and that injured employees deserve a fair path to recovery.

A Final Word From Our Firm

The 2026 Missouri legislative session is one of the most consequential in recent memory for personal injury victims, workers, and families navigating the legal system. Many of the proposed changes would make it harder for ordinary Missourians to exercise their legal rights and obtain fair compensation when they are harmed.

At UB Law Firm, our focus is on auto accidents, trucking accidents, and select workers’ compensation and criminal matters. We are watching these legislative developments closely so that we can give you the best possible advice and representation, whatever the law looks like when your case arises.

If you have questions about a potential case, or if you know someone who has been injured in an accident, please reach out. Initial consultations are always free.