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Jeffrey A. Burns

Jeffrey A. Burns

Partner
Location:
Kansas City, Missouri
Phone:
816-876-2600
877-816-2600 (Toll Free)
Fax:
816-221-8763
Email:

Jeffrey Burns received his law degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1983 with honors. Jeff received his undergraduate degree from Truman State in 1978.  Jeff also pursued postgraduate studies at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1979 - 80.

From 1983 to 1985, Jeff served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Elmo B. Hunter, United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri . 

In 1985 Jeff joined the law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, P.C. in Kansas City, Missouri , where he served in the Tort Litigation Section.  As a result of representing a friend who lost his wife and two daughters in a truck crash caused by a fatigued driver, Jeff began to focus his practice on trucking accident litigation and truck safety advocacy.   He has been fighting for improvements in truck safety on our nation's highways ever since.

In 2005, Jeff joined The Law Offices of Tim Dollar, L.C., now known as Dollar, Burns & Becker, LC, in Kansas City, Missouri .  Jeff continues to focus on truck accident litigation and highway safety.

Jeff is very active in the national movement for increased safety in the trucking industry.  He serves on the Boards of Directors of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.).  He is a former director for the Center for Truck Safety (C.T.S.) and also served in the Alliance for Safe Highways.  Jeff has served as National Transportation Counsel for P.A.T.T. since it was founded in 1994.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of Greater Kansas City and Kansas . 

Jeff received the Lifesaver Award from P.A.T.T. in 1998, the Unsung Hero Award from Missouri Lawyer's Weekly in 1996, the Distinguished Service Award from the Truck Safety Coalition in 2005 and is a lifetime member of the national Registry of Who's Who.

Jeff has written extensively for the legal and trucking communities.  Some of his publications include: Missouri Practice - Litigation Guide (Volumes 2 and 2A Missouri Practice Series) West Publications, 1992 and 2002 editions; (Updates/pocket parts also prepared by J. Burns),  Truck Driver Fatigue A Primer , American Bar Association, Truck Accident Litigation, 2nd Edition (2005); Handling a Plaintiff's Truck Crash Case What You Don't Know Can Hurt You and Your Client , American Bar Association, Truck Accident Litigation, 2nd Edition (2005); Asleep at the Wheel? Trial Magazine, November, 2002; and Debunking Truck Industry Myths: The Status of Truck Safety , Sorrow to Strength Truck Victims Conference, Washington D.C., October, 2005, Missouri Bar Annual Update of the Law - Civil Procedure - June 2007, 2006,2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993 and 1992, Truck Crash Cases - The Unlevel Playing Field , Missouri Lawyers Weekly, May 3, 1999.   

Jeff is a frequent speaker at conferences in the legal and trucking communities as well.  Some of his presentations include:  Discovery and Proof of Driver Fatigue , Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Osage beach, Missouri, June, 2007; The Truck Safety Crisis A National Outrage , Sorrow to Strength Conference, Washington D.C., March, 2007; Trucking Litigation and D.O.T. Regulations , Kansas City, Missouri, March, 2006 and 2007; Why Comprehensive Discovery is Reasonable and Necessary in a Truck Crash Case , ABA Transportation Megaconference VII, New Orleans, LA, March, 2005; The Trucking Industry's Capacity Crisis Driver Shortage and Hours of Service An Outside View , Freight Transportation Capacity Crisis Productivity Summit, The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, October, 2004;  Debunking Truck Industry Myths; The Status Of Truck Safety , Sorrow to Strength Truck Victims Conference, Washington, D.C. October, 2005,  Legal Developments Regarding Drowsy Driving, National Summit to Prevent Drowsy Driving, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., November 2002,  How To Prepare A Truck Crash Case For Trial - Phoenix, Arizona, June, 2001, ABC's Of Highway Safety - Sorrow to Strength Truck Crash Victims' Conference - Washington, D.C., June 1999, Hours Of Service Reform And Potential Shipper Responsibility - Roundtable of the Counsel of Logistics Management - Des Moines, Iowa, May, 1999,  Cutting Edge Truck Safety Issues - Sorrow to Strength Truck Crash Victims' Conference, Washington, D.C., April 1998,  Hot Topics In Truck Crash Litigation -  Fatigue And Blind Spots , Kansas City, Missouri - April, 1997, Problem Areas In Truck Crash Litigation - Sorrow to Strength Truck Crash Victims' Conference, Washington, D.C. - May 1997, Obtaining Justice: Criminal vs. Civil Legal Systems - Sorrow to Strength Truck Crash Victims' Conference, Washington, D.C. - June 1996, Fatigue As A Cause Of Truck Crashes - Fatigue and Highway Safety Conference, Vancouver, Washington - September 1995, Sleep Deprivation: America's Hidden Nightmare - Symposium on Fatigue-September, 1994, San Francisco, California, Developing Areas in Premises Liability - June 1994,  Effective Motion Practice: Discovery Motions - May 1996, 1995 and 1994,  Practical Skills Course - Federal Court Practice, November,  Preparing Accurate Settlement Documentation Settlement of Minors' Claims , Richard E. McLeod and Jeffrey A. Burns (May, 1987).

Bar Admissions

  • Missouri, 1983

Education

  • University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri - 1993
    • Honors: With Honors
  • Northeast Missouri State University - 1978
    • Major: Industrial Education

Published Works

  • Missouri Practice - Litigation Guide, West Publications, Volumes 2 & 2A Missouri Practice Series, 1992
  • Truck Driver Fatigue - A Primer, American Bar Association, Truck Accident Litigation, 2nd Edition, 2005
  • Handling a Plaintiff's Truck Crash Case - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You...and Your Client, American Bar Association, Truck Accident Litigation, 2nd Edition, 2005
  • Asleep at the Wheel?, Trial Magazine, November, 2002
  • Debunking Truck Industry Myths: The Status of Truck Safety, Sorrow to Strength Truck Victims Conference, Washington D.C., October, 2005

Classes/Seminars

  • Trucking Litigation and D.O.T. Regulations, Kansas City, Missouri, March 2006 and 2007
  • Why Comprehensive Discovery is Reasonable and Necessary in a Truck Crash Case, ABA Transportation Megaconference VII, New Orleans, LA, March 2005 and 2006
  • The Trucking Industry's Capacity Crisis - Driver Shortage and Hours of Service - An Outside View, Freight Transportation Capacity Crisis Productivity Summit, The Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, October 2004

Honors and Awards

  • Distinguished Service Award, Truck Safety Coalition, 2005
  • Lifesaver Award, P.A.T.T., 1998
  • Unsung Hero Award, Missouri Lawyer's Weekly, 1996
  • Lifetime Member, National Registry of the Who's Who

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), Director
  • Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.), Director
  • The Brain Injury Association of Kansas City., Director
  • Center for Truck Safety (C.T.S.), Former Director
  • Alliance for Safe Highways
  • The Truck Safety Coalition

Past Employment Positions

  • Honorable Elmo B. Hunter, U.S. District Judge, Western District of Missouri, Law Clerk
  • Shook, Hardy, & Baclon, L.L.P., Kansas City, MO, 1985 - 2005
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Recent Successes | Click to view
  • $40.8 Million Dollar Recovery
    47 year old Susan Slattery, wife of Ed Slattery, and mother of two minor children, Matthew, age 12, and Peter, age 15, died after an Estes Express Lines tractor pulling triple trailers collided with the Slattery vehicle in a construction zone on the Ohio Turnpike.
  • $24,242,813.65 Settlement
    In 2009, our client was operating his vehicle in a construction zone in Missouri when he was struck by a tractor-trailer. The claims were against the trucking company, its driver, and the road construction company that set up the construction zone.
  • $10,000,000 Judgment
    On August 21, 2005, at approximately 4:55 p.m. on westbound Interstate 80/90, Stainislaw Gil drove a 70,000 pound semi-tractor trailer owned by NET Trucking, Inc. into a construction zone on the Indiana Toll Road in Elkhart County, Indiana.
  • $9.5 Million Recovery
    Kim Amano brought an action against ABC Trucking Company and its driver after losing her only children in a violent rear-end collision. Laura Amano and her brother, Jeff, were stopped in a construction zone.
  • $7.1 Million Recovery
    18 year old Noah Leake, was killed when a truck driver for Gainey Transportation Services, Inc. drove too fast while traveling around a curve on an interstate highway.
  • $7 Million Recovery
    42 year old Peter Cuezze was standing on the shoulder of the highway putting gasoline in his van when he was struck by a tractor-trailer owned by A-1 Transport Company.
  • $7 Million Recovery
    Daniel Becker, 19, and his mother, Pamela Becker, 42, were traveling southbound on Interstate 85, near the South Carolina/Georgia state line. A tractor pulling double trailers operated by Oliver Mitchell was traveling north on Interstate 85 when he lost control of the vehicle.
  • Recovery $7 Million
    William Henderson, who owned a window washing company, sued his liability insurance carrier claiming that he was exposed to an excess judgment when the insurance company failed to settle an underlying wrongful death case.
  • $6.5 Million Recovery
    Michael and Deborah Munroe were traveling westbound on a U.S. Highway in Lee's Summit, Missouri when an eastbound tractor-trailer driven by a student driver taking his commercial driver's license examination crossed the median and collided with the Munroe vehicle.
  • Recovery $6 Million
    A 6 year old little boy saw James Cassidy, D.D.S. for a dental examination. Dr. Cassidy recommended a tooth extraction and other dental work be performed under general anesthesia.
  • 5,000,000 Verdict
    The attorneys at Dollar, Burns and Becker represented four minor children in a lawsuit against their day care provider. The plaintiffs alleged that they had attended the defendant's day care but the defendant had failed to supervise them.
  • $5 Million Recovery
    58 year old Danny Hall was traveling westbound on U.S. 36 in Macon County, Missouri, carrying a load of puppies for the canine breeding and brokerage business he and his wife owned and operated.
  • $4 Million Recovery
    Tony Jackson was driving a tractor trailer northbound on a two lane highway in rural Kansas. The driver for H & L Transport Services, heading southbound, rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped to make a left hand turn.
  • $3.375 Million Recovery
    Michael Hawkins sued Haas Carriage, Inc. and its driver after he was severely injured in a crash with a tractor trailer. Mr. Hawkins was stopped in traffic on an interstate highway near Asheville, North Carolina.
  • $3 Million Recovery
    28 year old Justin Coffman, husband and father of two minor children died after a tractor-trailer crossed the median of highway K-10 in Johnson County, Kansas and struck his Toyota Camry.
  • $2.6 Million Recovery
    Lemonte Christian, 39, was killed when the fuel tanker truck he was driving flipped after being struck by a Collins & Hermann truck in the backup of traffic caused when a wheelbarrow fell off the back of a Symmetry Landscaping truck onto Interstate 270.
  • $2.4 Million Recovery
    Joseph and Missy Ubbes were traveling on an interstate highway in central Texas. Police were redirecting traffic around an accident that occurred ahead on the roadway.
  • $2.4 Million Recovery
    62 year old Doriss Edwards lost her life when her Jeep Cherokee was rear-ended by a driver-trainee employed by Werner Enterprises, Inc. The accident occurred at night.
  • $1,725,000.00
    On November 9, 2010, Miguel and Teresa Viveros had set off from their home in Dixon, Illinois and were on their bicycles heading on the 12 mile route to their church in Sterling, Illinois.&
  • Recovery $1.4 Million
    Mr. Swenson suffered from cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia and a seizure disorder, requiring 24 hour care. He was placed in a bathtub of scalding water and left unattended.
  • $1.1 Million Recovery
    Bobbi Hartgrave, 45, was driving westbound on U.S. Highway in rural Missouri. A truck driver, heading eastbound, crashed head-on into Mrs. Hartgrave's vehicle. The collision caused a fire and Mrs. Hartgrave's death.
  • $1 Million Recovery
    Luke Hausmann a 23 year old missionary, died after the back wheels of a trailer broke free and crossed the median before striking the car which Luke was driving. Luke's three younger siblings, Anna, Ethan and Julia, were passengers who also suffered injuries.
  • Verdict $1 Million
    Quinlock Shobe sued her automobile liability insurance carrier, Allstate Insurance for bad faith insurance practices. Shobe was involved in an automobile accident resulting in injuries to three persons.
  • Defendant Agrees to Implement State of the Art Safety System
    On April 17, 2010, Melissa Payne and her daughters, Rachel and Alyson, were travelling east on Highway 18 near the Big Lake Bridge in Arkansas.
  • Confidential v. Confidential
    Eastern District of Missouri

    Defendant Agrees to Implement State of the Art Safety System.In early 2011, four family members passed away after being struck from behind by a tractor-trailer.
  • $1,550,095.00 Recovery
    A young mother was driving southbound U.S. Highway 71 with her 8 year-old daughter as a passenger in the back seat. Because of congestion, traffic was slowing and the mother had come to a complete stop on the highway.
  • Recovery $950,000
    Mr. Jamison, a 38 year old college professor, went to an oncologist for confirmation of a leukemia diagnosis. Tests confirmed the diagnosis and suggested that Mr. Jamison suffered from a rare form of the disease called APL.
  • $700,000 Recovery
    Delmar Stone, age 85, was a resident of Hyde Park Nursing Home. While a certified nurses' assistant was turning him, his feet came into contact with an exposed radiator at the foot of his bed, causing severe burns. The burns became stage III decubitus ulcers.
  • $700,000 Recovery
    Conan Smith, age 74, who suffered from mild dementia, was temporarily placed in an Illinois nursing home while his wife recovered from a hip fracture. Within 5 months after he entered the home, Mr. Smith could not walk. He lost 30 pounds in 30 days and developed Stage IV decubitus ulcers.
  • Recovery $425,000
    The family of 86 year old Ruth Rushly sued the nursing home for negligence following Mrs. Rushly's fall from a bath-lift chair. Mrs. Rushly fell five feet to the ground and suffered a spiral fracture to her hip. She died one month later.
  • $535,000 Recovery
    Geraldine Boles, age 81, fell while she was a patient at a Kansas City, Missouri hospital. She suffered a subdural hematoma and was hospitalized until her discharge to Plaza Manor Nursing Home.
  • $325,000 Recovery
    Elderly Rachel Robinson became a resident of Saxton Woods Care Center. The nursing home's staff assessed Mrs. Robinson as a high risk for dehydration and infection, and instituted a care plan to address these risks.

Kansas City MO Truck Accidents Attorneys Video

http://www.dollar-law.com 877.816.2600 If a semi truck wreck has changed your life, consult the attorneys at Dollar, Burns & Becker in Kansas City, Missouri for representation.

Media
  • 20/20 | Abc News Program 20/20 Interviews Tim Dollar
  • The New York Times As Trucking Rules Are Eased, A Debate On Safety Intensifies, Stephen Labaton, New York Times, December 3, 2006
  • AP Associated Press | Tim Dollar Tapped By Prosecutor To Handle "Precious Doe" Case.
  • KansasCity.com Tim Dollar Tapped By Prosecutor To Handle "precious doe" Case.
2013 Best Law Firms U. S. News & World Report Best Lawyer
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  • Av Lexisnexis Martindale-hubbell Peer Review Rated For Ethical Standards And Legal Ability
  • Listed In Best Lawyers The World's Premier Guide
  • Best Of The Bar Kansas City Business Journal

Dollar, Burns & Becker, L.C | 1100 Main Street, Suite 2600 | Kansas City MO 64105 | 816-876-2600 | 877-816-2600 | Fax 816-221-8763 |  Kansas City Law Office

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