Jill A. Kanatzar
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney in Kansas City, MO
Jill Kanatzar is one of the most respected plaintiff attorneys in the region. Her deep experience in cases related to sexual abuse, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice spans more than 20 years.
Jill’s entire career has been dedicated to helping people who often cannot help themselves. From small children to disabled adults to our elders, she has stood next to and fought for people’s rights. Jill is respected by attorneys throughout the Midwest, hence why she has been named Prosecutor of the Year by Jackson County and earned the Women’s Justice Award by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.
In addition, Jill was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to its Advisory Committee. She has also been appointed special prosecutor by numerous prosecutors' offices across Kansas City area jurisdictions.
Prior to joining the firm, Jill was an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jackson County, Missouri, where she prosecuted felony criminal cases including robberies, burglaries, assaults and homicides. Jill spent the majority of her tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office in the Child Abuse & Sex Crimes Unit. She participated in numerous jury trials including cases of adult sex crimes and crimes perpetrated against children.
Jill entered private practice in 1998 when she joined Stigall, Humphrey, Lucas, Henry & Dollar. She soon began representing families and patients injured by abuse and neglect in nursing homes. Jill was appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri to serve on the 16th Circuit Bar Ethics Committee. This panel reviews complaints brought against other lawyers to determine whether probable cause exists and if ethical violations have occurred.
Jill earned a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, dual majoring in economics and political science. She received her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and obtained her license to practice law in 1994. She holds an active license in Missouri and Kansas, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
- 70%Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10%Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10%Health Care
- 10%Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Nursing Home, Medical Malpractice
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2018 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Jill A. Kanatzar
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About Jill A. Kanatzar
First Admitted: 1994, Missouri
Professional Webpage: https://dollar-law.com/attorneys/jill-kanatzar/
Honors/Awards
- Best Lawyers in America – 2019-2022, Best Lawyers in America
- Super Lawyers – Super Lawyer – 2018-2019, 2008-2020
- Who’s Who Top Lawyers – 2020
- Missouri Lawyer's Weekly - Women's Justice Award - Litigation Practitioner , 2017
- Jackson County Child Advocacy Coalition - Child Advocate Award
Bar/Professional Activity
- 16th Circuit Judicial Commission, Member
- Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, Member and Denise Henning Connections Mentoring Program
- Advisory Committee for the Missouri Supreme Court
- Kansas, 2006
- U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri, 1998
- Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City - Member of Board of Directors and Past President
- Missouri Supreme Court Regional Disciplinary Committee - Former Chair
- Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys - Member
- Jackson County Child Sexual Abuse Task Force - Former Chair
- Missouri, 1994
- Nursing Home Negligence Committee - Member
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association - Member
Educational Background
- Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1994
- Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, B.S., Major: Economics; Major: Political Science, 1991
Verdicts/Settlements
- Large 7 Figure Settlement WOMAN DROWNED AT MISSOURI NURSING HOME Dollar, Burns, Becker and Hershewe partner, Jill Kanatzar, recently recovered a large seven figure settlement for the family of a woman who died as a result of drowning at a Missouri nursing home. The woman was a resident of the nursing home for less than one year. She was left alone in a bathtub for an extended period by a Certified Nurses Aid who was employed through a staffing agency. The allegations against the facility included a failure to train and supervise the visiting aid and notify her of a change in the resident’s condition 5 days prior to the drowning. The settlement was with the facility and staffing agency., 2022
- Kansas District Court $1.50 Million Settlement Four-year-old victim sexually abused by another minor. , 2022
- $1,000,000 settlement against school district for student on student sexual assault. , 2017
- $1,750,000 settlement against group home for resident on resident sexual assault., 2019
Last Updated: 8/9/2022