Attorney Profiles

Professional Information

Robert L. Pottroff is the managing partner of Pottroff Law Office, P.A. in Manhattan, Kansas where he has practiced law since 1979.  Though he is well qualified to practice law in many fields, Mr. Pottroff's main area of concentration is on railroad law. His leadership and perseverance over the past decade have had an immeasurable impact on railroad litigation all over the United States . When Mr. Pottroff recognized the need for better safety at railroad grade crossings, he immediately began working on solutions. He became the chairman of the Railroad Highway Grade Crossing Action Committee for the ATLA at the urging of his peers in 2001. In that role, Mr. Pottroff drafted model legislation and worked closely with legislators and bureaucrats to confront the issues regarding safety at railroad crossings. His suits against the states for misapplying federal crossing funds have changed the way states approach crossing safety altogether. Largely due to Mr. Pottroff's work both inside and outside of the courtroom, states are slowly beginning to promote the safety of motorists over the interests of railroad companies.

Perhaps Mr. Pottroff's most influential verdict came in 2002 when an Arkansas jury awarded $30.1 million to a client severely and permanently injured in a Union Pacific Railroad crossing accident. In their brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, UPRR counsel is quoted as saying, "this is by far the largest punitive damages award ever upheld by an American court in a railroad grade crossing case." In Arkansas alone, Mr. Pottroff has won a combined total of over $40 million for his clients, but his work does not stop there. Mr. Pottroff has worked tirelessly to unveil the wrongdoings of railroad companies from coast to coast by lecturing frequently and co-counseling with any attorney who needs his help. In 2003, Lewis Laska, publisher and editor of the FELA Reporter and Railroad Liability Monitor, said "[Mr. Pottroff] is simply the best railroad crossing lawyer in the United States ."

Professional Affiliations

In July of 2006, Robert L. Pottroff ascended to the presidency of the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (KAJ).  Mr. Pottroff then lead for a year more than 800 trial lawyers across Kansas who work hard to ensure the rights of families and workers everywhere are protected.

Robert  Pottroff is a member of the Riley County and a member of the Kansas Bar Association. As a result of his prominence in railroad law, he has been a member of other state trial lawyers associations, including the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) and the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association. His national affiliations include the American Association for Justice (www.atla.org) where he is extremely active. He is a member of the ATLA Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group; the ATLA Railroad Law Section; the ATLA Railroad Litigation Group, and the ATLA Firearm and Ammunitions Litigation Group.

Mr. Pottroff was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL).  According to the ACTL, membership to this association is by invitation only to "experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality."  Mr. Pottroff will be among the top 1% of lawyers in the nation who are allowed into this prestigious association.

Related Affiliations

Other areas where Mr. Pottroff has actively litigated on behalf of his clients include victims' rights and child-proofing handguns. Through various interest groups and organizations, Mr. Pottroff has worked to promote public safety. He has initiated a direct attack on industry created and controlled trade organizations which blame the victims for accidents that could have been prevented with simple precautionary measures. He has also joined forces with the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice in a campaign to force the issue of child-proofing handguns.  Robert Pottroff was presented with the Consumver Advocate Award from the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (KTLA).  The award was given in recognition of Mr. Pottroff's work and success in a case involving a child critically injured in an accidental shooting.  The gun manufacturer paid to settle the claim for failure to childproff a handgun.  This was an unprecedented settlement and a step in the right direction for gun safety.  

Additionally, Mr. Pottroff is a member of the Brain Injury Association, which was originally founded as the National Head Injury Foundation. This organization is an advocacy organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with brain injury and their families, and to promoting prevention of brain injury.

Professional Goals

Robert L. Pottroff is a firm believer that trial lawyers have a unique opportunity to improve the world around us. In reality that is the duty of every trial lawyer. His most gratifying work as a trial lawyer involves representation of people with brain injuries and fighting to protect their rights. He is also engaged in a protracted battle with the railroad industry over issues of public safety. One such public safety issue is the needless occurrence of death and disabling injuries suffered by motorists at railroad crossings. These deaths and injuries are preventable. A vast majority of Mr. Pottroff's time is spent representing victims of these tragedies and their families. His battle with railroads will persist as long as the rail industry continues to deny its responsibility for public safety at railroad crossings.

Changes in Law and Policy

On March 4, 1997, Mr. Pottroff obtained a jury verdict in excess of $10,000,000.00 on behalf of a twenty-five year-old client who was injured in a railroad crossing accident. The jury found the railroad 99% at fault and the plaintiff 1%.

Nero v. Kansas State University, 253 Kan. 567, 861 P.2d 768 (1993); established the duty of a university to exercise reasonable care to protect the safety of students it houses.

Vetter v. Morgan, 22 Kan.App.2d 1, 913 P.2d 1200(1995): established the right of a brain injured person to recover damages from all parties jointly engaged in harassment and an assault that lead up to her injury.

Other decisions where Mr. Pottroff represented the rights of individuals in the appellate courts can be viewed below under representative cases. 

Papers and Presentations

Mr. Pottroff is known nationally and internationally as an authority and leading practitioner in the field of railroad grade crossing accidents. He lectures frequently on a variety of topics including railroad crossing litigation, investigation and discovery, cross examination, forensics evidence, and the use of innovative technologies for litigation. He has also made presentations at the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, yearly for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and soon to come, the Indiana and Kentucky Trial Lawyers Associations.