To celebrate the 20th issue of Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, they caught up with former cover subjects, including José Bautista. 

During the interview, José Bautista was asked a series of questions about several areas of the law industry.

An Evolving Practice

José Bautista explains, "One thing that we started doing five years ago was police brutality cases, where we sue a government entity for using excessive force on citizens and deprivation of their civil rights. Immunities that are provided to the particular defendant these days, and law enforcement, are getting so broad that it was making what was already a difficult case to prosecute even more difficult. ... Nursing home litigation has become the largest part of our practice. If I have one railroad grade-crossing case that I take on a year, we're probably taking on 15 nursing home cases."

Stand-Out Successes

My favorite recent case is Hanshaw v. Crown Equipment, which involved a poorly designed forklift that caused a young warehouse worker to lose his leg. A 21-year-old, Christopher was forced to decide whether he wanted his leg cut off at the ankle or below the knee—just several days after he started his first real job. After months of painful therapy and retraining, he got married, began a career in IT, and is now training for Tough Mudder races with advanced prosthetics. The case is currently on appeal on an evidentiary issue, and I don't know how it will ultimately turn out. What I do know is that Christopher is an inspiration and I'm better for just having known him and worked on his case.

Learning curves

I've come to realize that litigation is very difficult on the client, even though they're the ones suing. So I always make a concerted effort, when I meet with clients for the first time, to tell them about what they're getting into. The last thing I want is to go into a long term battle with folks who may underestimate what is going to be needed of them--and what they're about to go through and for how long.

The Upside of Change - Predictions

I think the future is nursing home litigation. Everyone I know my age is either about to consider a nursing home or plan a future [there] or has a relative that's already there. I don't see that slowing down--I see that as expanding. The same goes for sex abuse cases. I think the courts and the legislators are starting to realize how important it is that those are prosecuted in this day and age. Statutes of limitation are being expanded to address the wrongs, which signals future litigation in this area.

Advice for Up-and-Coming Attorneys

This is a very small legal community. You're going to see your peers everywhere. You'll see them at your bar conferences. You'll see them on the other side of the table. You'll see them in cases. Practice professionalism and courtesy. It'll go a long way to having a very stable and enjoyable and successful practice.

About BautistaLeRoy

The personal injury attorneys at Bautista LeRoy LLC have been serving the public as personal injury attorneys in Kansas City, since the 1990's. We help individuals and families recover money for pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages due to the negligence of others. With cases throughout Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Illinois, Benton County, and St. Louis, we are recognized for results against entities such as Norfolk Southern Railway, Wal-Mart, Toyota Motor Co., State Farm, Shelter Insurance and Allstate, as well as, various nursing homes. You can visit our website at www.bautistaleroy.com.

SuperLawyers 2024 - 20th Anniversary Issue

Read the Super Lawyers 20th issue here. Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. We limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private practice and Legal Aid attorneys.