Requiring Accountability Throughout the Trucking Industry
“Each crash is a tragic story.” JJ says. “Alongside the tragedy, however, there is almost always another story—a narrative of neglect. We are keenly aware of the themes and broad outlines of these terrible narratives: driver fatigue, reckless hiring, distracted driving, poor training and supervision, defective equipment, negligent maintenance, and a corporate mentality that places short-term profits over safety, among others.”
The broad strokes are critical, but the devil is in the details. “In many cases, it is the interpretation of a particular Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulation, the definition of a specific term in a seemingly unrelated court decision, the realization of the significance of a fuel receipt or a maintenance request amongst tens of thousands of records, or the identification of the unique interaction amongst several statutes that makes a world of difference. It is crucial to spend a lot of time ‘in the weeds.’” JJ is a stickler for details. He has researched and written extensively about many of those statutes that impact truck crash litigation and other catastrophic injury cases.
In addition to claims against negligent trucking companies – many of which carry only the bare minimum insurance coverage required under federal law – JJ is a Kansas City truck accident attorney experienced in pursuing shippers, freight brokers, double-brokering motor carriers, other logistics providers, and insurance companies responsible for putting dangerous and reckless trucking companies and commercial drivers out on the road.
Experienced and Driven
JJ is currently the Vice Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group. He has shared his expertise by presenting to other attorneys at seminars and colleges in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. In addition, JJ has been published in numerous legal magazines, journals, and other periodicals, including the Journal of Trucking Litigation, American Bar Association and Michigan Law Review.
More impressive than his professional accolades are his commitments to the legal profession and community. Kansas City personal injury lawyer JJ Burns teaches an “Introduction to Personal Injury Litigation” course at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School every year; and he spends substantial time in Washington, DC advocating for laws and regulations that will improve safety on our nation’s highways.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- AAJ Trucking Litigation Group, Vice Chair
- Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, Member
- The Missouri Bar, Member
- The Illinois Bar, Member
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
- KCMBA Bar Leadership Academy, Alumnus
- Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Member
- American Association for Justice, Member
- UMKC Law School, Adjunct Professor
Awards & Honors
- Best Lawyers in America – Ones To Watch – 2021-2024
- Super Lawyers – 2022-2023
- Super Lawyers – Rising Star – 2017-2021
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 40 Under 40 – Civil Plaintiff Lawyers – 2018-2019
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 10 Trucking – 2018-2019
- The Trial Lawyer Association – Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers – 2018
- Missouri Lawyers Weekly – Up & Coming – 2018
- VerdictSearch – Top 100 Verdicts of 2017 – 2017