When you place a loved one in a nursing home, you expect care, safety, and dignity, not neglect or abuse. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse remains a serious issue in Kansas City and across the nation. If you suspect a loved one has been harmed in a long-term care facility, choosing the right attorney is one of the most important steps you can take to protect them and seek justice.
At Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen, we have built a reputation as the go-to firm for complex, high-stakes elder abuse cases. With over 40 years of litigation experience, we are known throughout Kansas and Missouri for our aggressive, client-centered approach. That said, we understand that every case is different, and every family deserves to find the lawyer who’s the right fit for them.
To help guide your search, we’ve compiled this list of trusted professionals to help you find the best nursing home abuse lawyer in Kansas City.
1. Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen

At Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen, nursing home abuse cases are handled with the depth, care, and attention they demand. Known as home to Kansas City’s premier litigators for high-value medical negligence and catastrophic injury cases, our firm has been a powerful advocate for victims and their families across Kansas and Missouri.
With over 40 years of courtroom success, Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen stands apart for its investigative precision and in-house team of full-time doctors and nurse experts. This long-standing partnership with dedicated medical experts allows the firm to uncover systemic failures, document long-term harm, and hold negligent facilities fully accountable.
Whether a case involves dehydration, untreated infections, falls, bedsores, or emotional neglect, we approach each matter with the seriousness it deserves. Other law firms routinely refer their most complex elder abuse cases to Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen because they know our team delivers results. If you’re looking for the best nursing home abuse lawyer in Kansas City, this is where justice often starts.
2. Sam Cullan | Cullan & Cullan

Dr. Sam Cullan is a physician, engineer, trial attorney, and among the most respected advocates for victims of nursing home abuse and medical negligence in Kansas City. With over 30 years of litigation experience, Dr. Cullan has secured numerous multi-million-dollar recoveries for individuals and families facing catastrophic injuries, including those stemming from elder neglect.
Board certified in legal medicine and recognized multiple times by Best Lawyers in America as “Lawyer of the Year” in Kansas City for medical malpractice, Dr. Cullan brings deep insight to the intersection of medicine and the law. His ability to interpret complex medical evidence and present it persuasively in court has earned him national acclaim, particularly in cases involving serious injury and wrongful death.
Dr. Cullan is a Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum member and has been named to the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers list for over a decade. His work reflects a deep commitment to justice, and he is widely regarded as a trusted advocate for victims of nursing home abuse in Kansas City.
3. Steve Gorny | Gorny Dandurand, LC

Steve Gorny, founding member of Gorny Dandurand, is a nationally recognized trial attorney with a record of groundbreaking verdicts across Kansas and Missouri. Known for his strategic litigation skills and tenacity in the courtroom, Gorny has consistently delivered results in complex injury and wrongful death cases, including several landmark medical negligence verdicts. These include a $41 million verdict in 2021 on behalf of a severely injured child—the largest single-plaintiff verdict in Kansas history.
Steve has been selected for the Best Lawyers in America annually since 2009 and for the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers list since 2006. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. His longstanding leadership within the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and other professional organizations underscores his commitment to legal excellence.
4. Jack Norton | Norton & Spencer, P.C.

With over four decades of experience and more than 150 jury trials, Jack Norton is regarded as one of Missouri’s most accomplished trial attorneys. As a founding member of Norton & Spencer, P.C., Jack has built a distinguished reputation in medical malpractice and personal injury law, consistently delivering results in high-stakes litigation.
Mr. Norton’s track record includes multiple seven-figure verdicts, including a $22 million award in 2004 for a brain-injured child—a verdict that ranked among the top three in Missouri that year. His courtroom skills and ethical standards have earned him a fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a distinction reserved for the most respected advocates in the nation.
In addition to being named to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers and recognized by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, Jack is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has been listed in Super Lawyers.
5. Shamberg, Johnson and Bergman

Founded in 1949, Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman is one of the most established and respected personal injury firms in the Kansas City region. With a team of nationally recognized trial attorneys, the firm has spent more than seven decades advocating for individuals and families harmed by negligence, including cases involving nursing home abuse, wrongful death, and complex medical malpractice.
The firm’s reputation extends far beyond the local legal community. For over 25 years, its attorneys have been named to The Best Lawyers in America directory. Its members frequently appear among the Top 10 and Top 50 Super Lawyers in Kansas, Missouri, and the broader Kansas City metro area. One of its founding members, Lynn R. Johnson, is a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group limited to the top 100 trial lawyers in the country.
With more than $850 million recovered for their clients and a focus on trial excellence and personal attention, Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman remains a trusted choice for families in Kansas City.
6. John Parisi | Parisi Law Firm

With over three decades of litigation experience, John Parisi is a trusted advocate for victims of serious injury, wrongful death, and medical negligence in Kansas and Missouri. A former partner at a well-respected Kansas City firm, John founded the Parisi Law Firm in 2018 to focus exclusively on representing plaintiffs in complex personal injury and medical malpractice matters.
John’s trial work spans many high-stakes cases, including multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in wrongful death, medical negligence, and class action litigation. His career includes successful resolutions in product liability, post-operative negligence, and elder care abuse cases.
Known for his thorough case preparation and courtroom skills, John has also litigated class action lawsuits involving environmental contamination and defective pharmaceuticals. He serves as Chairman of the Johnson County Ethics & Grievance Committee and is a past president of the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association. His proven track record makes him a reliable choice for those seeking a nursing home abuse lawyer in Kansas City.
Your Family’s Partner in Seeking Justice
When a loved one is harmed in a place meant to provide care and safety, the sense of betrayal can be overwhelming. At Dempsey Kingsland & Osteen, we have extensive experience holding nursing homes accountable for negligence and abuse. Our attorneys collaborate with in-house medical experts to uncover the truth and pursue justice with care and precision. If you’re looking for the best nursing home abuse attorney in Kansas City, Blue Springs, Raymore, Raytown, Independence, Liberty, Olathe, Mission, Lenexa call our office on (816) 421-6868 today to schedule a free and private consultation.
Resources:
Cullan & Cullan, link.
Gorny Dandurand, LC, link.
Norton & Spencer, P.C., link.
Shamberg, Johnson and Bergman Law Firm, link.
Parisi Law Firm, link.

