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Douglas E. Schmidt
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Douglas E. Schmidt
Schmidt Law Firm
13911 Ridgedale Drive
Suite 110
Minneapolis, MN 55305
Phone: (800) 656-8450 | Fax: (952) 544-1308
http://www.schmidtlaw.org
30 Years Experience, over 6,000 Successful Cases
Legal Topic
Personal Injury
Preferred New Clients
The Schmidt Law Firm has vast experience and special skills in the handling of injuries and wrongful death from car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, boating, construction, industrial, and farm accidents.
The firm has an excellent track record in medical malpractice cases with a number of jury verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars, including a successful jury trial against Mayo Clinic.
I have also successfully handled many product liability claims, with successful results in both settlements and jury verdicts, against corporate giants such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Dow Chemical, Ciba Geigy Chemical, International Harvester, John Deere, Grand Laboratories, and others.
Sub-Categories
Personal Injury
- Dangerous Property
- Wrongful Death
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Construction Site Injuries
- Jones Act
- Slip & Fall
- Sports Injuries
- Petrochemical Accidents
- Whiplash
- Felony Auto Accident
- Design Defects
- Manufacturing Defects
- Dog Bites & Animal Attacks
- Police Misconduct
- Airplanes
- Buildings
- Mass Transit - Bus, Train, Subway
- Ships & Boats
- Anesthesia Malpractice
- Birth Injuries and Defects
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Dental Malpractice
- Elder and Nursing Home Abuse
- Emergency Room Errors
- HMO Managed Case
- Lasik Eye Surgery
- Medication Malpractice
- Optometry Malpractice
- Prescription/Drug Malpractice
- Psychiatric Malpractice
- Surgical Errors
- Wrong Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis
- Nursing Home Negligence
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Asbestos Mesothelioma
- Chemicals & Cosmetics
- Dangerous Drugs & Products
- Hazardous Waste
- Medical Products & Devices
- Pesticides
- Radiation & Electromagnetic Energy
- Tobacco
- Toxic Mold
- Amputation
- Birth Injury
- Burn Injury
- Head/Brain Injury
- Paralysis
Bar Admissions
MN, Jun 1970
Bar Number: 0096921
Specialty Certifications
I have, during my career, been certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, as a Civil Trial Lawyer by the Minnesota Certification process, as a Master of the American Inns of Court, as an Arbitrator of the Minnesota No Fault Arbitration process, certified by the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Other Court Admissions
Minnesota since 1970; Iowa since 1968; US District Court; Wisconsin and South Dakota on single case admissions.
Association Memberships
• American Bar Association - Recipient of Award of Merit
• Minnesota Bar Association
• Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association - Two time recipient Distinguished Service Award
• American Inn of Court - President, Master ranking
• Minnesota Million Dollar Roundtable - President
• Minnesota Association for Justice
• Lawyer Against Drunk Drivers - President
Continuing Education
I have been the frequent speaker at various Continuing Legal Education seminars in which I have been asked to speak of subjects related to personal injury and wrongful death. These seminars have been sponsored by the Minnesota Bar Association, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, the Minnesota Association of Justice, the William Mitchell College of Law, and the National Business Institute.
Papers and Publications
• I have authored many books and articles in legal journals, including a Law Review Article on the subject of products liability in the William Mitchell Law Review.
• For 16 years, I was the author and editor of a continuing article on personal injury and trial practice in the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine (for which he twice has received the Distinguished Service Award).
• I have authored a number of books and articles. I am the author of a legal textbook entitled, "Using Minnesota Statutes in Personal Injury Claims."
• I am the author of a chapter in the Minnesota Cause of Action Manual.
• I am the author of "The Ten Commandments of Jury Persuasion."
• I am the author of the text, "The Basics of Handling Personal Injury Motor Vehicle Cases," which has been published by the National Institute of Business.
• I have authored various articles which have appeared in the American Trial Lawyers Journal, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, the Iowa Trial Lawyers Journal, and the Texas Trial Lawyers Journal on a variety of subjects that relate to trial practice and personal injury issues relating to car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, construction site, and farm accident.
Example Cases
• $54 million recovery against Chubb Insurance for Midwest Farmers
• $2.4 million dollar recovery in trucking accident
• $4.1 settlement for victims of military helicopter crash in products liability case
• $1.4 million recovery for Minnesota farmer in jury trial
• $2.4 million jury verdict in medical malpractice case
• $1 million recovery in a medical malpractice case
• $620,000 settlement of injury case for motorcyclist
• $1 million settlement for teenager injured in farm equipment case
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
University of Iowa Law School
City:
Iowa City
State:
IA
Year:
1968
Honors:
Winner, Trial Court Competition; Recipient Scholarship Award; Appointment, Faculty Research Assistant.
Focus and Accomplishments:
I focused on Personal Injury and Wrongful Death law in law school with a focus on trial lawyer skills. I competed in Moot Court competitions and received numerous awards in that area.
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
School:
Drake University
City:
Des Moines
State:
IA
Year:
1965
Honors:
Phi Beta Kappa (Scholarship and Leadership); General Motors Scholarship Award (Top Scholarship in class); Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities; Dean of Men's Award (Outstanding Male Graduate).
Focus and Accomplishments:
Economics, Business and Legal Writing.
Number of Attorneys
3
State Licensed In
Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota by single case admission.
Firm Focus and History
The Schmidt Law Firm is dedicated to bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and to the families of the victims of wrongful death in cases including car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, boating, construction site, industrial, and farm accidents.
We are very proud of our service to clients, as proven by the client reviews on Yahoo.com, City Search, etc., who have rated the Schmidt Law Firm as a Five Star Firm (best in class!).
I am the founder of the Schmidt Law Firm. I was one of the founders of one of the largest personal injury law firms in Minnesota, located in downtown Minneapolis. I left that large downtown Minneapolis firm and founded the Schmidt Law Firm in a location that is very easily accessible to my clients. For that reason, one of our mottos is "You Don't Have to Go Downtown for a Great Lawyer."
We have associated with outstanding Minnesota lawyers that specialize in other areas of law, including Workers Compensation, Social Security Disability Appeals, Business Law, Estates, Probates and Estate Planning, and Family Law.
Previous Employment Summary
I have been a lawyer specializing in personal injury, accident, and wrongful death claims for over 30 years. I was one of the founding partners of a major downtown personal injury firm before I left to form the Schmidt Law Firm with the mission to provide the best, personal, one-on-one service to clients who didn't want to go downtown for a lawyer.
Activities and Awards
I have received the Award of Merit of the American Bar Association. I am the two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association. I have been awarded the rank of "Master" of the American Inn of Courts. I have been listed in Who's Who in American Law.
I have served as a Lecturer at the Minnesota Law School, the William Mitchell College of Law, Northwestern Health Sciences University, and Gustavus Adolphus College.
I was honored to be selected to author a Law Review Article in the William Mitchell Law Review.
I was appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court to serve on the Standing Committee which supervises the process for Arbitration of Minnesota No Fault Insurance disputes. As a member of that Committee, I was the draftsman of the first, second and third Editions of the Rules. Also by appointment by the Minnesota Supreme Court, I served for more than 20 years as an Arbitrator of Minnesota No Fault Insurance Arbitration. I currently serve as President of the Minnesota Million Dollar Roundtable, which is composed of lawyers who have successfully produced a jury verdict of more than one million dollars in a personal injury case. I have produced numerous verdicts and settlements for my clients in personal injury cases.
I am the founder of Lawyers Against Drunk Drivers, an organization dedicated to bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death caused by drunk drivers in motor vehicle collisions.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
The Schmidt Law Firm is firmly committed to the principle that it is vitally important for the client to be involved in the process. The client needs to understand what is going on and needs to be involved at every step. The Schmidt Law Firm understands that the victims of personal injury are dealing with a very stressful situation and need a law firm that can understand and appreciate those needs. It is only with good teamwork between the client and the lawyer that any personal injury or wrongful death claim can be successful.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
Total willingness. In fact, the Schmidt Law Firm works very hard to involve the client in the process and takes the initiative to ask the client for assistance in the preparation of all documents.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
Almost all of the clients come to the Schmidt Law Firm because they recognize that they need our experienced, professional legal representation. They hire us because they expect us to do the "lawyering," and we expect to do the "lawyering" as well. For that reason, we do not expect our clients to "represent themselves." That is our job, and we do it well.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
From junior high, I wanted to be a trial lawyer. I was a State Champion debater in high school and on the Varsity Debate Team in college. I won the Moot Court competition in law school.
The pursuit of justice was always my goal. In the first 18 months of my legal career, I tried six felony criminal cases to a jury and won all but one.
I quickly learned that my true passion was that of bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death. It became apparent to me that bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and the families of the victims of wrongful death was the highest and best pursuit of any lawyer. For the last 30 years, I have dedicated my practice to the pursuit of that goal.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I was born and raised on a farm. The cows needed to be milked. The crops needed to be attended to. You just did it without question. The same with school work. Just do it, no questions asked, and be the best. I was awarded the top scholarship in college—not because I was the smartest, but because I worked the hardest. The same was true with law school and, since then, has been true in my practice. My clients work hard in their daily lives and they deserve a lawyer who will work as hard as they do!
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
Justice is important to all Americans, but it is most important to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death. People who have been injured are in a very precarious situation. They have pain. They have difficulty working and keeping the paycheck coming in. They have medical bills. Many of the victims of car accidents have lost the use of their vehicle and have transportation problems. These people are in critical need of help. It became apparent, early on in my career, that this was an area of the law where people really need help and where a good and aggressive lawyer can make a big difference.
What do you like best about your career?
Bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death. Being able to make a difference for those people. Knowing that I can do it well.
Tell us about your law firm:
The Schmidt Law Firm is most proud of the quality of our staff and the ability of the staff to provide for the needs of the client. I have observed over the years that most personal injury lawyers have a really bad record of answering phone calls and otherwise responding to the needs of the clients. The Schmidt Law Firm is dedicated to providing personal service to its clients. An attorney and a legal assistant are assigned to each case and will answer the client's questions.
What are your strengths and style?
The strengths of the Schmidt Law Firm are that of the highest quality legal services, an aggressive pursuit of claims, and personal contact with the clients.
Personal Interests:
Law is my hobby. I also enjoy spending time with my family. It is truly a blessing to be able to love what you do for a living.
Office Manager/Assistant
Vanessa Larrea
Fax
(952) 544-1308
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
We are happy to see clients evenings and weekends by special arrangement.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Foreign Languages
Yes, Spanish.
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
The Schmidt Law Firm offers a "first visit free" and a "free case evaluation."
The firm represents the victims of personal injury and wrongful death on a contingent fee arrangement. Simply stated, that means that we are willing to work for our clients without expecting payment for our legal services until we collect a settlement or recovery. Then, our fees will only be a percentage of the recovery. It's like a real estate agent who gets paid when the house is sold, and not before.
Hourly Rates
The Schmidt Law Firm is willing to handle cases on an hourly basis in accordance with its published fee schedule.
Free Initial Consultation?
The Schmidt Law Firm offers a free initial consultation, including a free car evaluation.
Typical Retainer
The typical retainer is a contingent fee.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
