Attorney Profile

VANCE C. PREMAN HAS ONE AREA OF EMPHASIS in his law practice: litigation. But the subjects of the cases he takes vary as broadly as those handled by large firms.

Preman represents claimants in cases involving medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability, wrongful death, and worker's compensation. He also does criminal defense work and tort actions. Preman is a licensed pilot, and his interest in flying assists him in occasional lawsuits that arise from plane crashes. He summarizes his practice by stating that he has spent 17 years assisting individuals with major legal problems and celebrates 30 years of experience in the legal field.

Preman recently represented plaintiffs in three emerging areas of the law. One case marked the first time a Missouri appellate court had directly recognized the right of a police officer to sue someone who intentionally injured him while he was acting in the line of duty. Although the trial court dismissed the suit, the court of appeals reinstated officer's assault and battery claim.
The second case involved a motor vehicle accident that occurred during a high-speed police chase. Preman represented the survivors of a young woman who was a passenger in a pickup truck that ran off the road as it was being pursued by police. Preman filed suit against the officers, the city and its police department, the county sheriff's department, and several city and county officials. The suit was settled before the trial.

In the third case, Preman obtained a damage award for a woman who was beaten and robbed in a grocery store parking lot. Preman convinced the jury that the grocery store had not provided adequate security against criminal attack on its customers.
Preman is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education programs and also lecturers at seminars on legal issues for medical professionals. He is a contributing author to Missouri Products Liability Handbook and Missouri Trial Tactics, publications of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

Preman also lectures to lay audiences. He is a frequent speaker in high schools and before various civic groups, explaining the workings of the court system and discussing everyday legal issues.
Preman is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Johnson County and American bar associations, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. He also served as a board member of the UMKC Law Foundation from 1989 through 1992.

Preman is licensed in Missouri and Kansas, but his law practice includes clients throughout and outside the United States. He recently acquired a building at 4330 Belleview, near the County Club Plaza, for his Missouri Office. He also maintains an office on the Kansas side, in Overland Park.