J. Kyle Bachus Esq.

Kyle Bachus won his first argument in front of the state supreme court when he was seventeen years old. As a junior in high school, Kyle attended a Florida state legislation day for high school students. There, he was selected to argue a predetermined topic in front of a panel of licensed lawyers sitting on a mock supreme court. He was provided with appropriate documentation and tasked with researching and preparing his argument. Selected as one of the best presenters of the day statewide, he was both surprised and inspired to pursue a career in law.

He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989 and from the University of Florida College of Law three years later. He began work the Monday after graduation in a plaintiff ’s personal injury law firm.

Kyle moved to Colorado in 1994 and joined a Denver personal injury law firm. Two years later, Kyle and fellow lawyer Darin Schanker opened Bachus & Schanker, LLC in a tiny, rented office with less than $15,000. In the years since, Bachus & Schanker has grown into one of the largest personal injury firms in the region. Today, Kyle oversees the firm’s Elite Litigation Group, where he limits his personal practice to representing families throughout the United States in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases.

After about 25 years of representing family members of victims killed in motor vehicle accidents, Kyle gained first-hand knowledge of his clients’ experiences when his own mother was struck and killed in a crosswalk. This inspired Kyle to write “Unthinkable: Real Answers For Families Confronting Catastrophic Injury or Death”

Kyle lives in Denver with his wife and their three children.

Kyle’s mission is to help families by providing real answers to all of the difficult questions that arise after a traumatic loss.

With the launch of Unthinkable, Kyle immediately became a Best Selling Author as many others found the tools provided within a much needed resource.

1992, Florida
1993, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
1994, Colorado and U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Law School: University of Florida, J.D., 1992
College: University of Florida, B.S., 1989

Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 1999-present

Member, Auto Litigators Committee, 1996-present
Co-Chair, Auto Litigators Committee, 2005-present
Member, Medical Malpractice Committee, 2003-2006
Chair, Lawyers at the Polls Committee, 2003-2005
Member, Insurance Bad Faith Committee, 2003-2004
Member, Product Liability Committee, 2003-2004
Member, Public Relations Committee, 2003-2004
Chair, Seminar Committee, 2001-2002
Colorado Trial Lawyer Outstanding Trial Lawyer, 2001
Chair, Colorado Law Update Seminar, 2001
Co-Chair, Eagle Committee, 2000-2004
Co-Chair, New Lawyers Committee, 1998-2001
American Association for Justice (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America)

Board of Governors, 2004-present
Marketing & Client Service Committee, Vice Chair
Board of Governors, 2004-present
Marketing & Client Service, Vice Chair
National Finance Council, Committee Member
Marketing & Client Service Committee, Committee Member
Public Affairs Committee Member
Leaders Forum Member
Medical Malpractice Section Member
Nursing Home Litigation Section Member
Insurance Bad Faith Section Member
Colorado’s 5280 Magazine’s Super Lawyer, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Lawdragon 500 Top Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America, 2007
Top 500 Lawyers All Categories Finalist, 2008

Litigation Counsel of America, Charter Fellow
Public Justice Foundation, Member
National Crime Victim Bar Association, Member
Injury Board, Member
The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, Member
Trial Lawyers Care, Inc., Member
Academy of Trial Advocacy, Member.

Author of ‘Unthinkable: Real Answers for Families Confronting Catastrophic Injury or Death”

With the launch of Unthinkable, Kyle immediately became a Best Selling Author as many others found the tools provided within a much needed resource.

Kyle has also been recognized as an AV-rated attorney and “pre-eminent lawyer”, the highest rating assigned to individual attorneys by Martindale Hubbell, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious attorney rating service. Its ratings are assigned according to peer review and attest to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics. According to Martindale Hubbell, an AV peer review rating is a certification that marks a significant accomplishment given by a lawyer’s peers ranking him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

Colorado Bar Association
Denver Bar Association
Florida Bar Association
Florida Justice Association
American Association of Justice

UNTHINKABLE
REAL ANSWERS FOR FAMILIES CONFRONTING CATASTROPHIC INJURY OR DEATH
by J. Kyle Bachus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 9, 2022

A well-written and thoughtful guide to managing a challenging process.

A debut manual focuses on coping with the aftermath of the negligent death or injury of a loved one.

Bachus combines personal and professional experiences in dealing with catastrophic injury and death to present a step-by-step guide to handling the legal, medical, financial, and emotional effects. The author is a personal injury attorney with more than two decades of experience representing victims and families in civil litigation, and he is also the son of a woman killed by a negligent driver. The book discusses the potential criminal and civil charges that may be brought, the rights and responsibilities of victims and their families, and the possible outcomes. Bachus explains autopsies, advance directives, estates and probate, and insurance. The volume’s final chapters address the emotional aspects of coping with death and injury, including grief, healing, and advocacy. Appendices provide information on each state’s relevant laws and offer templates for contacting police, prosecutors, and other officials. The manual is concise and informative, and the author does an excellent job of balancing the narrative between cut-and-dried facts and the nuances of his own experiences. (For instance, the discussion of the role of victims and families in the criminal justice system is punctuated by Bachus’ account of the driver who killed his mother being subject only to a minor fine because a box was left unchecked on the initial traffic citation.) Although it is clear that the author loved and still mourns his mother, the book’s overall tone is lawyerly and dispassionate rather than emotional. This allows the work to serve as a comprehensive resource rather than a call to arms, ensuring that victims and families are aware of their rights—not only in the courtroom, but also concerning communication, information, and reimbursements—and how to exercise them. The volume handles complex legal topics at an appropriate level that balances detail and readability (and emphasizes the importance of understanding how each state’s laws differ), making it useful to readers without a legal background.

A well-written and thoughtful guide to managing a challenging process.
Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-5445-2795-6

Page Count: 248

Publisher: Lioncrest Publishing

Review Posted Online: April 13, 2022

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:
EDUCATION | GENERAL NONFICTION

$38 Million
hospital Negligence

$15 Million
wrongful death

$5.5 Million
Pedestrian

$3.75 Million
AUTO ACCIDENT DEATH

$21 Million
Defective PRODUCT

$14 Million
Car CRASH

$4.7 Million
Truck Accident

$3 Million
Slip and Fall

$20 Million
Car Crash

$11.5 Million
AUTO ACCIDENT

$4.6 Million
SLIP AND FALL

$2.1 Million
AUTO ACCIDENT

$15 Million
Car crash

$7 Million
Auto Accident

$3.75 Million
INSURANCE BAD FAITH

$1.8 Million
Slip and fall

Author of ‘Unthinkable: Real Answers for Families Confronting Catastrophic Injury or Death”

Bachus & Schanker Cares Foundation

Founded in 2009, the Bachus & Schanker Cares Foundation is committed to supporting our community and those affected by life changing tragedies.

We’ve contributed to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Kenzi’s Causes, Habitat for Humanity, Light the Night Walk, A Walk To Remember, and the Wall-Bop Golf Tournament.

The Bachus & Schanker Cares Foundation Supports these non-profits:
3HOPEFUL HEARTS
ALAMEDA INTERNATIONAL SR HIGH SCHOOL
ALMOST HOME INC
AMERICAN HEROES IN ACTION
AZTECA BOXING CLUB
BRANDON AND PAUL FOUNDATION
CANINE PARTNERS OF THE ROCKIES
CHILDSAFE COLORADO INC
CLOTHES TO KIDS OF DENVER
COLORADO COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT
DENVER CHILDRENS FOUNDATION
DENVER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
FORT COLLINS HIGH SCHOOL DIAMOND BASEBALL BOOSTERS
FORT COLLINS HS GRIDIRON BOOSTERS
FOSSIL RIDGE HS BOYS BASKETBALL BOOSTER
GATEWAY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES
GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
HOPE ANIMAL – ASSISTED CRISIS RESPONSE
HOPE FOR HOOVES RESCUE AND ADOPTION
ILLUMINATE COLORADO, INC
JAMLAC
KARIS COMMUNITY
KENZI’S CAUSES
KRISTI VISOCKY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
LAFAYETTE WARRIOR RUGBY CLUB
LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF COLORADO
MADD COLORADO
MARTYRED ANGELS FOUNDATION
NEUABILITY
PI SIGMA FOUNDATION
PINNACOL FOUNDATION
RALSTON HOUSE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER
SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO
SPINA BIFIDA ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO
TEE IT UP FOR VETERANS, LLC
THE CENTER FOR FAMILY OUTREACH
THE FUNK FOUNDATION
THE LIMB PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
THE MATTHEWS HOUSE