Our firm is located in the small, historic town of Weston, Missouri. The location of our firm says a lot about who we are and how we practice law. A close-knit small town fits our personality and the close relationships that come with a small community are the same kinds of relationships we develop with our clients. Our goal isn’t just to understand your case but to develop trusting relationships that will weather the storm of litigation. We have a 30-year history of representing personal injury clients who have become close personal friends.
Although our firm is located in a small town, just north of Kansas City, we have a nationwide practice. Usually, our clients’ cases are filed in courthouses that are not close to our clients or our firm. So, our little town is a great launching pad to wherever you live or wherever your case is pending.
A serious personal injury or death of a loved one caused by the carelessness of another is one of the most significant events any family could ever face. It’s not a time to become a case number in some mega firm’s file room. Serious cases deserve personal attention from experienced lawyers.
You can have personal attention without sacrificing results. You can know your lawyer and your lawyer’s family by their first names and vice versa no matter where you live because we take the time to make sure that happens. Personal attention and good relationships created in a small firm setting don’t detract from results, they make them more likely.
You can and should get a free consultation from an experienced lawyer on the same day you contact a law firm. When you’re facing one of the toughest times in your life, you deserve personal attention from an experienced lawyer — not a case screener.
Don’t get us wrong. We have a great support staff. When you’re in the middle of your case with us and you just need an update, or you want to pass on some new information, you’ll love talking to Stephanie or Renee. In fact, many of our clients consider them close friends and allies. But sometimes, you just need to talk to your lawyer. We make time for that even if it’s in the evening or on the weekend. We’re probably working anyway. Personal service, strong relationships with clients, hard work and over 50 years of combined experience make us the best choice for your personal injury case.
Estate Planning is not just for the wealthy. We all have an “estate” comprised of the property we own, including vehicles, real estate, bank accounts, personal possessions, etc. An Estate Plan will make sure those assets go to the people or organizations you want and, if done properly, your assets will not need to go through probate.
Our law firm has represented clients injured in truck, motorcycle and car accidents for 30 years. We will start the investigation of your case the day you hire us. We can sometimes resolve cases before litigation for fees below twenty-five percent of the net recovery.
Summers and Johnson is involved in a number of current mass tort litigations. Although we are based in Missouri, we represent clients in these lawsuits across the United States. Currently, we are working on cases involving the following devices and products:
In a mass tort action, each individual plaintiff has an individual claim with distinct damages, which may go to trial if the case is not settled.
Currently, we are working on cases involving the following products and chemicals:
I seek justice for people who have been hurt by the wrongdoing of others and I help people plan for the “what-ifs” and “inevitables” of life. As a practicing lawyer, I represent personal injury clients who have been hurt by truck, motorcycle, and car accidents, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices, and exposure to hazardous chemicals. I also help people create estate plans involving wills and trusts to avoid the need for expensive probate.
For the last 30 years, I have exclusively represented personal injury clients, including thousands of clients injured by defective drugs, medical devices, hazardous chemicals, and motor vehicle accidents. I am proud to say that I do not and never have represented Big Pharma or Big Oil and I never will. The opportunity to help people, not corporations, is what motivates me.
Watch this short 10-part interview with Brandon Tritten of JBLB Insurance Group about getting started with estate planning:
1. What documents should every adult have just in case they become disabled?
2. What is the difference between a Will and a Trust, and is a Will off the internet good enough?
3. What documents must parents of minor children have to ensure their children are protected if something happens to both parents?
4. What Are Beneficiary Designations and how do they work with an Estate Plan?
5. Should I tell my family about my estate plan?
6. Can I prevent my family from contesting my Will?
7. How do I prepare for meeting with a lawyer about my Estate Plan?
8. Can you describe a Power of Attorney and Living Will in more detail?
9. If I have an Estate Plan, how often should I review it?
10. Why should I make an Estate Plan?
Estate Planning
You plan for the people you leave behind. If you have minor children, you definitely want to pick the people who will raise them if something happens to you. Failure to plan will force your loved ones to make very difficult decisions at a time of great stress and anxiety and impose unnecessary cost and hassle on them.
Without your written and legally valid documentation, a judge will decide who will raise your minor children. State law will dictate who gets your property, which will have to go through the probate process. If you are alive but incapacitated, your family will have to seek probate court approval to appoint someone to act on your behalf.
What is Estate Planning?
Wrongful Death
Our client’s family member was killed in a motor vehicle crash caused by a semi-truck that failed to slow down. We quickly had an accident reconstructionist on the scene to preserve evidence. We used that data to create a video animation of the wreck that we presented at a pre-suit mediation. Our preparation and attention to detail resulted in a significant pre-suit settlement for our client’s family.
Personal Injury
We represented former military service members who suffered from hearing loss and tinnitus caused by defective ear plugs supplied to the military by 3M. This was a “mass tort” (similar to class action) in which hundreds of thousands of injured individuals assert similar claims. Our clients ultimately received a share of more than $6 billion in settlement funds.
Personal Injury
Our client was injured in a collision with a pickup truck that ran a stop sign. She suffered serious injuries. We were able to resolve this case for a seven-figure settlement without going to trial.
What’s Negligence, Anyway? Negligence is basically when someone doesn’t take proper care and it causes harm. Think about a car accident—usually, figuring out who’s responsible boils down to who was being careless. Did someone act “unreasonably” given the situation? And did that carelessness lead to an injury? If so, that’s negligence. Duty of Care: Who…
A Missouri appellate court has upheld a $611 million judgment against Bayer, affirming that its Roundup weedkiller caused cancer in three plaintiffs. This decision maintains the original jury verdict from November 2023, which found Bayer liable for negligence, selling a defective product, and failing to warn consumers about the risks associated with Roundup’s active ingredient,…
A Georgia state court awarded John Barnes $2.065 billion after he developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from using Monsanto’s Roundup. The award includes $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. Barnes claimed Monsanto concealed risks of glyphosate, the weed killer’s active ingredient. Monsanto plans to appeal.
Settlement talks with Monsanto may result in a global compensation plan for Roundup claims, but past negotiations show Monsanto could abandon the process. Two major challenges exist: Monsanto’s preemption defense, which the Supreme Court may reconsider, and the threat of bankruptcy, which would weaken claimants’ positions significantly.
