If you were injured in a slip and fall accident in Columbia, Missouri, you may have a personal injury claim against the property owner, business, or another party responsible for the unsafe condition. Chris Miller handles premises liability cases personally — no handoffs, no associates — across Boone County and all of central Missouri.
Property owners and their insurance companies move quickly after a fall. Surveillance footage gets overwritten, evidence disappears, and adjusters make early settlement offers before the full extent of your injuries is known. Call (573) 499-0200 for a free consultation — no fee unless we win.
Slip and fall cases look straightforward at first — you fell, you were hurt, someone else's property was unsafe. But Missouri premises liability law requires proving that the property owner knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to fix it or warn you. Insurance companies understand that burden, and they use it aggressively. Chris Miller understands it too — and he knows how to build the evidentiary record that defeats those defenses.
Chris handles every case personally from the first call through resolution. No associates take over your file halfway through. No paralegals fielding your calls. When you reach out to Bur Oak Injury Law, you speak with Chris directly — the attorney with 20 years of experience and a Missouri Supreme Court track record who will actually be handling your case.
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, which means your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault — but not eliminated. Even if you bear some responsibility for the fall, you may still be entitled to meaningful compensation. What you should never do is admit fault at the scene, because casual statements can be used against you later. Contact us before you talk to the property owner's insurer.
Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury across Missouri. According to the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, falls account for millions of emergency department visits annually and are the leading cause of injury death among adults 65 and older. In Missouri, the problem is significant — older adults face an especially elevated risk, and fall-related hospitalizations carry substantial medical costs.
Most of these falls are preventable. Wet floors, uneven pavement, inadequate lighting, broken stairs, missing handrails, and cluttered aisles are not accidents — they are the foreseeable result of deferred maintenance and inadequate safety practices. When a property owner's negligence causes your fall, Missouri law gives you the right to pursue compensation. The challenge is proving it before evidence disappears. An attorney who moves fast matters as much as one who argues well.
Slip and fall accidents can happen on any property where a hazard exists and a duty of care is owed. These are the locations where Chris most frequently sees claims arising in Columbia and Boone County.
Missouri's pure comparative fault system under §537.765 RSMo means you can recover compensation even if you share partial fault for the fall — your award is reduced by your percentage of fault, not eliminated. The key is having an attorney who builds the strongest possible case for the property owner's liability before the insurer assigns you a large share of the fault.
Past and future medical expenses, emergency care costs, surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, lost wages while recovering, and lost earning capacity if the injuries cause permanent impairment.
Physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and — in cases involving severe or permanent injury — disfigurement or disability.
When a slip and fall causes death, Missouri's wrongful death statute (§537.080 RSMo) allows surviving family members to recover funeral costs, loss of financial support, and loss of consortium.
One of the most time-sensitive actions after a fall: surveillance video is typically overwritten within 24–72 hours. An attorney can send formal preservation letters immediately to protect this critical evidence before it is destroyed.
Chris Miller personally handles every step — from the first call through settlement or trial. No handoffs to associates or paralegals.
Slip and fall claims in Missouri are governed by premises liability law, which turns on your legal status as a visitor. Invited guests (invitees) are owed the highest duty of care — property owners must both fix and warn of known hazards, and must inspect for unknown ones. Social guests (licensees) are owed a duty to warn of known hazards. Trespassers generally receive the lowest protection, though even trespassers have some protections. Most fall victims at stores, restaurants, and apartment complexes are invitees.
The statute of limitations for slip and fall personal injury claims is five years under §516.120 RSMo. Wrongful death claims carry a shorter three-year window under §537.100 RSMo. Missing these deadlines permanently extinguishes your right to compensation — but the practical window is much shorter, because critical evidence disappears in days or weeks.
Insurance adjusters often contact fall victims quickly with settlement offers designed to close claims before the full extent of injuries is known. Accepting an early settlement and signing a release eliminates all future claims, even if you later need surgery or extended rehabilitation. Call (573) 499-0200 or reach out at our contact page before signing anything.
No fee unless we win. One attorney handles your case from the first call through resolution.