Introduction

Two of the lead attorneys at Allen, Nelson & Wilson spent years as Missouri Workers’ Compensation Judges before stepping down from the bench to represent injured workers directly. Truman E. Allen and L. Timothy Wilson each spent years deciding the exact types of cases they now litigate, giving them a perspective that is essentially impossible to replicate through standard legal practice: they know how judges evaluate credibility, what evidence moves the needle, and where employer and insurer arguments typically succeed or fall apart. That judicial background, combined with nearly five decades of firm history dating to 1978, has produced a practice that has served over 1,000 clients in central and southwest Missouri.

Practice Areas

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation is the firm’s cornerstone. The practice focuses heavily on industrial and warehouse environments where the injury patterns tend to be most severe: manufacturing plants, warehouses, and distribution centers. Common injury types in this practice include:

• Repetitive stress injuries: carpal tunnel, tendinitis, and similar conditions that develop over months or years of repeated motion
• Lifting injuries: back, neck, and shoulder damage from material handling
• Machinery accidents: crush injuries, amputations, lacerations, and entanglement incidents
• Chemical exposure: burns, respiratory disease, and toxic exposure conditions

Missouri workers’ compensation law requires injured workers to navigate a process that includes employer-directed medical care, independent medical examinations chosen by the insurer, and administrative hearings with specific procedural requirements. Having attorneys who formerly presided over those hearings means Allen, Nelson & Wilson understands every procedural lever and how to use it.

The firm is explicit that it will litigate when necessary. This is not a firm that pressures clients toward early, undervalued settlements because trial preparation is inconvenient. The attorneys will take a case as far as the law and the facts require.

Personal Injury

The firm handles motor vehicle accident cases including car accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. These cases are handled alongside the workers’ compensation practice and benefit from the same orientation toward full recovery rather than expedient resolution.

Social Security Disability

Allen, Nelson & Wilson also handles Social Security Disability claims. These cases often intersect with workers’ compensation matters, as clients with long-term or permanent injuries may need to pursue disability benefits after their workers’ comp claims resolve. Having both practices under one roof simplifies coordination for clients dealing with multiple systems simultaneously.

The Judicial Perspective

The firm’s most unusual distinction is the courtroom background of its founding attorneys. Truman E. Allen served as a Missouri Workers’ Compensation Judge, as did L. Timothy Wilson. Between them, they accumulated over 30 years of combined legal experience before focusing on plaintiff representation.

A workers’ compensation judge is responsible for evaluating the credibility of injured workers, assessing the weight of conflicting medical opinions, and applying Missouri’s statutory framework to fact patterns that are often disputed by employers and their insurers. Allen and Wilson did exactly that for years. When they now prepare a client’s case, they are not guessing at what the judge will find persuasive. They know from experience, because they were the judges.

This is a material advantage. Most workers’ compensation attorneys develop their understanding of judicial decision-making through observation and outcome patterns. Allen and Wilson developed theirs from the inside.

Locations and Service Area

Columbia, Missouri
29 East Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573-441-2667

Springfield, Missouri
Plaza Towers, 1736 East Sunshine, Suite 818, Springfield, MO 65804
Phone: 888-549-2667

The firm serves clients throughout central and southwest Missouri from these two offices. Workers in manufacturing, distribution, and warehouse environments across the region have access to both locations.

Client Focus

The firm’s client base is primarily working people who were injured on the job: factory workers, warehouse employees, drivers, construction workers, and others in physically demanding roles. Many of these clients have never dealt with the legal system before their injury and are unfamiliar with how workers’ compensation proceedings work, what their rights are, and what a fair recovery actually looks like.

Allen, Nelson & Wilson has represented over 1,000 clients since 1978. That volume, accumulated over nearly five decades, reflects a consistent client base of Missouri workers who needed representation in a system that often favors employers and insurers by design.

The contingency fee structure means no upfront payment is required. Free consultations allow prospective clients to discuss their situation before committing to any course of action.

FAQ

What should I do immediately after a workplace injury in Missouri?
Report the injury to your employer as quickly as possible. Missouri has reporting requirements that can affect your right to benefits if you delay. Document your injury in writing, keep copies of any paperwork, and seek medical attention. Then contact an attorney before the employer assigns a physician or before you provide a recorded statement to an insurer.

Can my employer retaliate against me for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Missouri law prohibits retaliation against employees who file workers’ compensation claims in good faith. If you experience termination, demotion, or adverse treatment after filing, discuss it with the firm.

What kinds of benefits are available through Missouri workers’ compensation?
Benefits include medical treatment coverage, temporary total disability payments while you cannot work, permanent partial or total disability awards for lasting impairment, and vocational rehabilitation in some cases. The calculation of permanent disability benefits is one of the most contested aspects of workers’ comp proceedings.

Does the firm handle cases outside of Columbia and Springfield?
The firm serves clients throughout central and southwest Missouri. Contact either office to discuss your location and whether the firm can assist.

Why does it matter that the firm’s attorneys were formerly Workers’ Compensation Judges?
Because workers’ compensation proceedings are administrative, not purely legal. The outcome of a case often turns on how a judge evaluates competing medical opinions, credibility, and the specific procedural posture of the claim. Attorneys who spent years on the bench making those decisions understand the process at a level that courtroom observation alone cannot provide.

Closing

Founded in 1978, Allen, Nelson & Wilson has built its practice on a straightforward premise: injured workers in Missouri deserve attorneys who know the workers’ compensation system from every angle, will not flinch from litigation, and will pursue the maximum available recovery regardless of how long it takes. With two former judges on staff and nearly five decades of continuous practice behind it, the firm has the institutional knowledge and willingness to fight that those clients need. Both Missouri offices offer free consultations: Columbia at 573-441-2667 and Springfield at 888-549-2667.

Website: anwinjurylaw.com