Work Injury Types and Settlements in Missouri

Nine guides, one for each of the most common serious work injuries in Missouri. Start with yours:

Shoulder & Rotator Cuff

Rotator cuff and bicep tears, surgical repairs, and what a shoulder settlement should cover.

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Back, Neck & Spine

Herniated discs, fusions, and spine injuries that change what you can do for a living.

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Knee, Hip & Leg

ACL and meniscus tears, fractured kneecaps, and real knee settlement results.

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Hand, Wrist & Elbow

Carpal tunnel, fractures, and the scheduled-loss math behind hand injury settlements.

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Hernia

Missouri’s special proof standard for hernia claims and what the surgery claim covers.

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Head, Brain & Neurological

Concussions and brain injuries, and why these claims should not close early.

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Hearing Loss

Gradual or sudden hearing loss from workplace noise, covered as an occupational disease.

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Amputations & Crush Injuries

Specific loss, the Missouri schedule, and what the schedule leaves out.

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Repetitive Trauma & Occupational Disease

Injuries and illnesses that build over years, from repetitive strain to toxic exposure.

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The guides above cover the most common serious injuries, but the practice covers every injury that comes out of a Missouri workplace, including:

• Broken bones, ligament tears, nerve injuries, cuts and lacerations, and internal injuries from falls, machinery, and overexertion.
• Construction, scaffolding, crane, and industrial plant accidents, including explosions and safety violations.
• Toxic exposure, pulmonary and respiratory injuries, vision loss, heart conditions, and psychological injuries.
• Musculoskeletal disorders, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, off-site work injuries, and fatal accidents, where death benefits support the family.

Some work injuries also involve a negligent third party, defective equipment, or another company on the job site, which can add a claim beyond workers’ compensation. Bring the whole story to the consultation, because the extra claim is often the larger one.

The claim gets denied. Insurers deny claims for many reasons, some legitimate and many not, and deadlines apply to your response. A denied claim is the start of the fight, not the end of it.

The employer disputes the injury. Employers and insurers sometimes challenge whether the injury happened at work at all, which makes early reporting and clean documentation the backbone of the claim.

The settlement comes in low. Amounts depend on the injury, your wage rate, your rating at MMI, and future medical needs. Understand how the number was built before you accept anything.

In 2025 alone, our firm spent over $700,000 on expert witnesses. Injury cases are proven the same way they are won: physicians who connect the work incident to the injury, and preparation that treats every disputed claim as one that may need a judge.

Our firm handled roughly 1 in 4 of recent workers’ compensation trials at the St. Louis Division of Workers’ Compensation, out of hundreds of attorneys representing Missouri workers. Insurers know which firms will actually try a case, and it changes how they negotiate.

When the claims administrator knows a trial firm is on the file, refusals of care get reconsidered.

What types of injuries does Missouri workers’ comp cover?

Any injury arising out of and in the course of employment where work is the prevailing factor, from single accidents to occupational diseases that build over years. That includes the nine categories above and everything in between, whether the claim was accepted or denied.

What is my work injury settlement worth?

It depends on the diagnosis, your permanent rating and restrictions, your wage rate, and whether future medical care stays open. The full breakdown is on what a Missouri workers’ comp case is worth, and each injury guide above covers the factors specific to that injury.

What if I have more than one injury from the same accident?

Each injury is rated, and the combined effect on your ability to work drives the claim. Where a new injury combines with a prior disability, the Missouri Second Injury Fund may provide additional benefits.

When should I talk to an attorney?

Before you sign anything, and ideally before the rating is done. The consultation is free, and the questions that matter most, restrictions, future medical, and how the offer was calculated, are exactly the ones to ask early. Every case is different; results depend on the facts.