Missouri has a real chance to put money back in the pockets of residents, and it starts with tackling tort costs. Tort costs stem from lawsuits and are things like legal fees, insurance payouts, verdicts and high legal settlements, which ripple through the economy in the form of higher prices, increased insurance premiums, and added strain on courts and businesses. At the national level, in 2022, tort costs in the United States amounted to $529 billion, or roughly 2.1 percent of the country’s entire gross domestic product. For Missourians, the cost of the tort system has been staggering. The latest data shows that tort costs in Missouri came to $8.33 billion across the entire state. That means that Missouri households paid a hidden tort tax of around $3,387 each, as reported in 2022. The good news is that Missouri lawmakers have practical solutions to help reduce the tort tax—they just need to put them into action.
Encouraging Timely Claims
First, HB 1664 shortens the statute of limitations for filing personal and bodily injury claims and claims involving uninsured and underinsured motorists from five to three years, bringing the state in line with many others nationwide. A shorter window still gives plaintiffs time to bring their cases but encourages claims to be filed while evidence is fresh and witnesses’ memories are reliable. The result is fewer stale claims, less uncertainty for businesses and insurers, and lower litigation costs, all while preserving access to justice.
Bringing Transparency to Lawsuit Funding
Second is HB 3205, which puts guardrails on foreign investors who secretly bankroll lawsuits in Missouri. When foreign funders pour money into lawsuits, cases not only last longer, cost more, and encourage higher settlement demands, it also raises the possibility that our courts are being used to advance foreign interests at the expense of our national security. By barring foreign countries of concern and their agents from investing in Missouri litigation, this legislation will help keep Missouri courts focused on delivering fair outcomes rather than serving as profit-making tools or vehicles for foreign intrigue.
Strengthening Expert Testimony Standards
Lastly, the Missouri legislature can stop surging tort costs by adopting SB 918, which updates rules for expert testimony to align closer with federal standards. This legislation works to ensure that juries hear reliable, sound, and scientifically grounded expert opinions, helping prevent junk science from driving up verdicts and making outcomes fairer for everyone.
What This Means for Missouri
With national tort costs in the United States growing at 7.1 percent annually and business tort costs rising even faster at 8.7 percent, Missouri does not have to accept that soaring tort costs are an unavoidable fact of life. Lawmakers have real, practical tools at their disposal—getting foreign adversaries out of lawsuit funding, providing swifter timelines for filing claims, and setting clearer standards for expert evidence—to make the system fairer, faster, and more affordable for everyone. By advancing HB 1664, HB 3205, and SB 918, the legislature can take meaningful steps to protect Missouri families, strengthen the state’s economy, and restore confidence in a civil‑justice system that works for all. Now is the moment for policymakers to lead on commonsense legal reforms.
