Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Kansas City, Missouri
The firms in this guide
1. DiPasquale Moore (DM Injury Law)
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, wrongful death from auto accidents, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, semi-truck accidents, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: The firm has offices in Kansas City, Columbia, Topeka, St. Louis, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Denver. Their attorneys handle personal injury cases throughout Missouri and Kansas. Notable results include $3.5 million for a family in a Colorado car crash fatality and $1.8 million after a client was killed in a commercial vehicle crash.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri (multiple regional offices)
Contact: (816) 888-7500 | https://www.dmlawusa.com/
Consultation: Free case evaluation, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless compensation is recovered)
2. Edelman & Thompson
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, workplace injuries, workers’ compensation, wrongful death from auto accidents
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical care coordination, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, workers’ compensation claims
Background: Edelman & Thompson celebrated 30 years of service to the Kansas City community in 2024. The firm’s team includes a former workers’ compensation judge and a former legal advisor for the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation. The firm focuses on personal injury representation for Kansas City area residents.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Contact: (816) 561-3400 | https://edelmanthompson.com/
Consultation: Free personal injury consultation with no obligation
3. Kevin McManus Law
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death from auto accidents, long-term disability claims, life insurance disputes
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, traumatic brain injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, disability claim appeals
Background: Kevin McManus, the founder and managing attorney, has 20 years of legal experience. The firm includes attorneys with 25, 20, and 6 years of experience respectively. The firm represents individuals throughout Missouri and Kansas in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Contact: https://www.kevinmcmanuslaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, available 24/7, contingency fee arrangement
4. Foster Wallace, LLC
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, wrongful death from auto accidents
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Founded by attorneys Michael Foster and Brian Wallace after over a decade of legal practice. They started their own firm to serve local clients in Kansas City who need assistance with personal injury matters. Kimberly, an attorney at the firm, has over a decade of experience advocating for injured people. Notable result: $1.4 million compensation for client James Smith.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri (serving Kansas and Missouri)
Contact: https://www.fosterwallace.com/
Consultation: Free, no-obligation case review
5. Wendt Law Firm P.C.
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, burn injuries, wrongful death from auto accidents, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Samuel Wendt is recognized as one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Kansas City and has been named a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters every year since 2008. He is recognized among the top 100 attorneys in both Kansas and Missouri. The firm is licensed in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa. The firm handles cases throughout the Midwest region.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri (serving Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa)
Contact: https://wendtlaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee arrangement
Public Vehicle Claims, Wrongful Death Damages and Punitive Limits for Kansas City Car Crashes
A Kansas City car crash with a city or state vehicle falls under Missouri’s waiver of sovereign immunity for public employees’ negligent driving, with limits on what the public entity pays. Missouri also lists who may bring a wrongful death action, what damages it covers, and how far punitive damages can go.
A City or State Vehicle
Under RSMo 537.600(1), sovereign immunity is waived for injuries directly resulting from the negligent acts or omissions of public employees in operating motor vehicles within the course of their employment.
Limits on a Public Entity’s Liability
Under RSMo 537.610(2), the liability of the state and its public entities may not exceed $2,000,000 for all claims from one occurrence and $300,000 for any one person, and under (3) no punitive damages are awarded. Under (5), those limits are adjusted every January 1; the Missouri Department of Insurance’s published table listed $517,306 for any one person and $3,448,710 per occurrence for 2025, so confirm the figure for the year of the crash with counsel.
Who May Bring a Wrongful Death Action
Under RSMo 537.080, the action may be brought first by the spouse, children, surviving descendants of deceased children, or parents; if none, by the siblings or their descendants; and if none of those, by a plaintiff ad litem appointed by the court. Only one action may be brought against any one defendant for one death.
Wrongful Death Damages
Under RSMo 537.090, the damages include pecuniary losses, funeral expenses and the reasonable value of the services, consortium, companionship, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel, training and support lost, along with the decedent’s own damages between injury and death; grief and bereavement are not recoverable.
Kansas City Car Accident Questions
How long do I have to sue after a Kansas City car crash?
Five years under RSMo 516.120(4) for an injury claim, and three years under 537.100 for a wrongful death action.
Does a defendant below 51 percent pay the whole judgment?
No. Under RSMo 537.067, a defendant below 51 percent of the fault is responsible only for its percentage. For example, imagine a $150,000 judgment with 30 percent of the fault on one driver: that driver would be responsible for $45,000, unless it answers for another defendant as that defendant’s employer.
Is there a cap on punitive damages in Missouri?
Yes. Under RSMo 510.265(1), punitive damages may not exceed the greater of $500,000 or five times the net judgment against the defendant, but the limit does not apply if the defendant pleads guilty to or is convicted of a felony arising out of the same acts or omissions.