Choosing a law firm after a serious injury or the loss of a loved one is an important decision. Medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases often involve complicated medical evidence, expert testimony, and defendants backed by hospitals, insurance companies, and experienced defense lawyers.

At Dempsey Kingsland Osteen, our attorneys have represented seriously injured people and their families in Missouri and Kansas since 1986. Below, we answer some of the most common questions about our firm, the cases we handle, and what clients can expect when working with our team.

What does Dempsey Kingsland Osteen do?

Dempsey Kingsland Osteen is a Kansas City law firm that represents people who have been seriously injured, and families who have lost a loved one, because of someone else’s negligence. Our practice focuses on medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death.

We represent injured people only. We do not represent insurance companies or corporate defendants, and we do not handle criminal defense, divorce, or business law.

Over the past 25 years, our firm has secured more than $150 million for our clients.

What types of medical malpractice cases does the firm handle?

Medical malpractice is at the center of our practice. Some of the cases our attorneys handle include:

These cases often involve long medical histories, several providers, and extensive records. Our attorneys and in-house medical team work to understand exactly what happened and whether negligence caused the injury or death.

Does Dempsey Kingsland Osteen handle birth injury cases?

Yes. Birth injuries are one of our core practice areas. We represent children and families in cases involving obstetrical and delivery mistakes, cerebral palsy, infant brain damage, newborn seizures, and brachial plexus injuries such as Erb’s palsy.

When a child’s injuries will require lifelong care, our team works to understand the full extent of those future needs and what they will cost the family.

Does the firm handle vaccine injury cases?

Yes. Our attorneys have represented people seriously injured by reactions to vaccines for many years, including claims brought through the federal vaccine injury compensation system.

Vaccine injury results listed by the firm include a $43.1 million recovery for a child left quadriplegic, a $7.32 million recovery after a vaccine led to cardiac arrest, a $4 million recovery for a child who developed transverse myelitis and paralysis, and a $1.83 million recovery after a vaccine led to paralysis. Learn more about our vaccine injury litigation.

Does the firm handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases?

Yes. We represent residents and families in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, including falls, malnutrition and dehydration, sexual abuse, understaffing, and wrongful death.

What personal injury cases does the firm handle?

We handle catastrophic personal injury cases involving permanent and life-altering harm, including paralysis, spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns, and brain injuries. These cases often arise from:

Does the firm handle wrongful death cases?

Yes. We represent families whose loved ones died because of medical negligence, a crash, a workplace accident, or another preventable event.

Our attorneys work to determine what happened, identify everyone responsible, and pursue accountability on behalf of the surviving family. Wrongful death results listed by the firm include a $15.5 million recovery in a medication error case, a $7.25 million recovery after a work-related death, and a $5 million recovery after a truck and car collision.

Who are the attorneys at Dempsey Kingsland Osteen?

The firm’s three partners, Leland Dempsey, Robert Kingsland, and Jason Osteen, are trial lawyers with a long record of significant verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice, vaccine injury, nursing home negligence, and vehicle collision cases.

Leland F. Dempsey is a founding member of the firm and has represented injured clients in Kansas City since 1986. He earned his law degree from Tulane Law School in 1982 and is admitted in Missouri and Kansas, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Lee has been selected to Super Lawyers® for 20 years, in 2005 and 2006 and every year from 2008 through 2025, a recognition based on peer recognition and professional achievement. Missouri Lawyers Media also named him to its POWER List for Personal Injury in 2021 and for Health Care Law in 2023 and 2024. He has served on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice and on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, where he co-chairs the Amicus Committee.

Robert D. Kingsland, Jr. is a founding member and partner. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, he is admitted in Missouri, Kansas, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Bob has been selected to Super Lawyers® every year from 2014 through 2026, is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and has served on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys since 1999. He has resolved 20 cases for $1 million or more. Bob is a frequent speaker at legal education seminars on medical experts and malpractice litigation, and his article on sepsis after laparoscopic abdominal surgery was published in Trial Magazine in 2014.

Jason P. Osteen has been with the firm for more than 20 years. He earned his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law and his undergraduate degree, with distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Kansas. Jason’s practice emphasizes trucking and motor vehicle collisions, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, premises liability, and vaccine injuries. He has tried cases in state and federal court, argued before the Supreme Court of Missouri, and is admitted in Kansas and Missouri, the U.S. District Courts for Kansas and the Western District of Missouri, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Dempsey and Kingsland are AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.

Does Dempsey Kingsland Osteen have its own medical team?

Yes, and it is one of the firm’s most important advantages. Two medical professionals work exclusively with our firm and help evaluate and prepare our medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases from beginning to end.

Jane O’Shaughnessy, M.D. has been the firm’s physician consultant since 1999. She has more than 25 years of clinical practice, including 17 years as Chairperson of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Vincent’s, a high-volume trauma center in New York City. She is board certified in internal medicine, a Lifetime Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and has evaluated hundreds of medical malpractice cases for the firm.

Ashley Wooten Holmes, MBA-HCA, BSN, RN, CCTC, is the firm’s nurse consultant. She has more than 20 years of nursing experience in emergency care, thoracic surgery, transplant medicine, and nursing management, and earlier worked in nursing homes, assisted living, memory care, and long-term acute care.

Having physicians and nurses involved from the first review means we understand the medicine in a case before we ask anyone else to.

What sets Dempsey Kingsland Osteen apart?

Several things distinguish our approach.

First, we focus on serious cases. Many of our clients have suffered permanent injuries or lost a loved one, and these cases require careful investigation and an understanding of how an injury will affect a person and family for years to come.

Second, we have a dedicated in-house medical team. Dr. O’Shaughnessy and Nurse Holmes work only with our firm and are involved in our medical malpractice cases from first review through settlement or trial.

Third, we are trial lawyers. Our attorneys have tried cases in state and federal court and argued before the Supreme Court of Missouri, and we prepare cases to go to trial when a fair resolution cannot be reached.

Finally, our service is personal. Our partners are accessible, we offer evening and weekend appointments, and we will visit seriously injured clients or their family members at home or in the hospital.

What results has Dempsey Kingsland Osteen achieved?

Our firm has secured more than $150 million for clients over the past 25 years. Results listed by the firm include:

  • $43.1 million: vaccine injury resulting in quadriplegia
  • $15.5 million: medication error resulting in death
  • $7.32 million: vaccine injury resulting in cardiac arrest
  • $7.25 million: work-related injury resulting in death
  • $7 million: breach of insurance policy coverage and bad faith (death)
  • $5 million: truck and car collision resulting in death
  • $4 million: head-on collision resulting in serious injuries
  • $2.65 million: spine surgery
  • $2.5 million: anesthesia medication error
  • $1.75 million: fall at a hospital resulting in brain injury

See more on our case results page.

Past results do not guarantee the outcome of any future case. Every claim depends on its own facts, injuries, and evidence.

Is the firm willing to take cases to trial?

Yes. Our attorneys are trial-ready.

Not every case needs to go before a jury, and a fair settlement can sometimes be the best result for a client. But insurers and defense lawyers evaluate a case differently when they know the other side is prepared to try it. We negotiate from that position, and we take cases to trial when a fair resolution cannot be reached.

Our attorneys have tried cases in state and federal court and handled appeals, including arguments before the Supreme Court of Missouri.

How does Dempsey Kingsland Osteen investigate a potential case?

Every case starts with a free consultation and a careful look at what happened. When we take on a case, we act quickly to investigate and preserve evidence.

In medical malpractice cases, our in-house medical team reviews the medical records with our attorneys to understand the care that was provided, where it may have gone wrong, and how that affected the patient. Depending on the case, we may also consult outside medical experts and other specialists.

In catastrophic injury cases, the investigation can include crash reports, photos, witness statements, workplace or property records, and medical records that show the full extent of the injuries and future needs.

What happens after the firm accepts my case?

Once we take your case, our team begins building it. Depending on the case, that can include gathering records and evidence, working with our medical team and outside experts, evaluating current and future damages, filing the lawsuit, conducting discovery and depositions, negotiating with insurers and defense lawyers, and preparing the case for trial.

Throughout the process, we keep you informed, and you have direct access to your attorneys.

How do I know whether I have a case?

A bad medical outcome or a serious accident does not automatically mean someone is legally responsible. Generally, a medical malpractice claim requires evidence that a provider failed to meet the standard of care and that this failure caused an injury. In other injury cases, the question is usually whether someone else’s negligence caused the harm.

You do not need to figure that out on your own. Our attorneys and medical team can review what happened and help you understand whether further investigation makes sense.

How much does it cost to hire Dempsey Kingsland Osteen?

Consultations are free.

We handle cases on a contingency fee basis: no fee unless we win your case. You do not pay attorney fees upfront, and our fees come from a recovery.

Where does Dempsey Kingsland Osteen handle cases?

We represent clients throughout Missouri and Kansas. Our office is in downtown Kansas City, and we regularly serve clients in Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Liberty, Raytown, Raymore, Grandview, and St. Joseph in Missouri, and Olathe, Mission, Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee, Prairie Village, and Gardner in Kansas.

Do I need to come to the office to meet with an attorney?

No. We offer consultations by phone and through our online contact form, as well as evening and weekend appointments. When a client is seriously injured, we will visit the client or a family member at home or in the hospital.

If your injury happened in Missouri or Kansas, contact us to talk about your situation.

How quickly should I contact a lawyer?

As soon as reasonably possible.

Medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death claims are subject to legal deadlines in both Missouri and Kansas, and the deadline that applies depends on the facts of each case. Evidence and records can also become harder to obtain as time passes.

Do not assume you have plenty of time based on general information online. An attorney can tell you what applies to your situation.

What should I have ready for my consultation?

You do not need to have everything gathered before you contact us. However, it can help to have:

  • A short timeline of what happened
  • The names of the doctors, hospitals, nursing home, or other parties involved
  • Approximate dates of treatment or of the accident
  • A description of the injury and how it has affected daily life
  • Medical records, test results, or discharge papers you already have
  • Police or accident reports and photos, if any
  • Letters from any insurance company

If we need more records to evaluate or pursue your case, our team can help get them.

How do I speak with a Dempsey Kingsland Osteen attorney?

You can contact Dempsey Kingsland Osteen by calling (816) 421-6868 or submitting the consultation form on our website. Our office is at 1100 Main Street, Suite 1860, Kansas City, MO 64105, in downtown Kansas City with ample parking.

Consultations are free, and there is no fee unless we win. Tell us what happened, and we will help you understand your options and your next steps.