Executive Committee

JEFFREY A. BURNS

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 Youand 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, Volumns 2 and 2A Missouri Practice Series, 1992

Truck Driver Fatigue - A Primer, American Bar Association, Truck Accident Litigaton, 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 Taught:

Trucking Litigation and D.O.T. Regulations, Kansas City, Missouri, March 2006 and 2007

Why Conprehensive 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

Lfesaver 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 Highwarys

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