From left to right: Attorneys Stephanie Schommer, Dean Salita, Doug Schmidt, Mary Beth Boyce and Joshua Laabs.

HOW DO AIRBAGS WORK?

Airbags are inflatable cushions built into a vehicle that protect occupants from hitting the vehicle interior or objects outside the vehicle (for example, other vehicles or trees) during a collision. The instant a crash begins, sensors start to measure impact severity. If the crash is severe enough, the sensors signal inflators to fill the bags with gas in a fraction of a second. The speed of a deploying airbag can reach up to 200 mph. Airbags are designed to offer the most protection when occupants are wearing safety belts and sitting properly in the seat. To determine the locations of airbags within a vehicle, look for the word “airbag” or “SRS” (supplemental restraint system) stamped into plastic or stitched into fabric in the vehicle interior. 

Airbag systems do not typically require regular maintenance. A properly functioning airbag can last the lifetime of the car unless it deploys in a crash. A demonstration test conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that the original frontal airbags in a 1973 Chevrolet Impala deployed properly more than 20 years after the car was built. 

The airbag light on the instrument panel indicates whether the airbags are functioning properly. If the airbags are working properly the warning light illuminates for a few seconds when the ignition is switched on. If the airbag warning light is flashing, remains illuminated with or without a warning beep or doesn’t illuminate during the ignition on cycle, the airbag requires maintenance and should be taken to service center. 

Airbags must be replaced after deployment in a crash. Airbags should be replaced at a repair shop that uses original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts to ensure that the new airbag is not counterfeit. 

WHAT KINDS OF AIRBAGS ARE COMMON IN TODAY’S VEHICLES?

Frontal Airbags: 

Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal crashes to prevent a person’s head and chest from contacting hard structures in the vehicle known to cause serious injuries. Typically, frontal airbags deploy within the first 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) of impact. They offer the most protection when occupants are wearing safety belts and sitting properly in the seat, but are designed to provide protection for all occupants. Newer airbags have advanced features that include a safety belt sensor and an algorithm to decide whether to deploy the bag in a given crash, depending on whether people are using safety belts. Typically a front airbag will deploy for unbelted occupants when the crash is the equivalent of an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph. Most airbags will deploy at a higher threshold — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds. Frontal airbags may deploy to help protect occupants in side impacts if there is sufficient forward movement during the crash. 

The driver airbag is located in the steering wheel. The passenger airbag is located in the instrument panel. Some manufacturers provide supplemental knee airbags, mounted in the lower instrument panel. Knee airbags distribute impact forces to reduce leg injuries. They also help reduce forces on an occupant’s chest and abdomen by controlling movement of the occupant’s lower body. 

Since the 1999 model year, the federal government has required automakers to install driver and passenger airbags for frontal impact protection in all cars, light trucks and vans. Most new vehicles had dual frontal airbags even before they were required safety equipment.

Frontal airbags are crucial during a motor vehicle collision.

Side Airbags: 

Head- and chest-protecting side airbags are designed to inflate in side crashes to prevent people’s heads and chests from contacting intruding parts of vehicle side structure, a striking partner vehicle or an object such as a tree or pole. Such contact can seriously injure properly belted occupants. A head-protecting side airbag is particularly important because it may be the only thing between the occupant’s head and the striking vehicle, since window glass can shatter in a crash. Because of the small space between an occupant and the side of the vehicle, side airbags must deploy very quickly, typically within the first 10-20 milliseconds of a side crash. Deployment thresholds can be as low as 8 mph for narrow object crashes (e.g., trees and poles) and 18 mph for the more widely distributed side impacts (vehicle-to-vehicle crashes). Several auto manufacturers deploy the side airbags in frontal crashes to help control occupant movement. 

Torso-protecting side airbags typically deploy from the seatback to provide a cushion between the occupant’s chest and the intruding door structure. Some early models deployed from the door trim. Newer models deploying from the seat typically extend downward to provide additional protection to the pelvis. Torso airbags can also be found in rear outboard seating positions. Head-protecting curtain side airbags are typically located in the roof rail, and deploy downward to cover the window frame. These airbags may extend head protection into the rear seating areas. Often both a seat-mounted torso airbag and a curtain airbag are installed to provide head and torso protection. Another design providing protection for the head and torso is a combination bag, which deploys from the seatback and extends upward to cover both the torso and head. Regardless of type and location, side airbags cushion and spread the load of these impacts to prevent any part of the body from sustaining concentrated impact forces. 

Side-Head Airbag 

A head-protecting curtain airbag is often the only barrier between the passenger’s head and the striking vehicle. 

Side-Head/Torso Airbag 

A combination airbags deploying from the seatback provide protection for the head and torso, as well as a series of airbags for the torso and pelvis. 

An example of side airbags that protect the upper torso, the head and the neck.

Rollover Deployment of Side Airbags 

Side curtain airbags are designed to deploy in a rollover crash. These airbags typically inflate within the first 10-20 milliseconds of a rollover crash and can remain inflated longer than regular side curtain airbags (10 or more seconds) to protect during multiple-roll crashes. They typically cover the window opening and inflate more stiffly to prevent ejection of the occupant. A side curtain airbag used to meet the federal safety standard to prevent occupant ejection remains inflated for more than 10 seconds, covering multiple rolls of the vehicle, and keeps occupants contained inside. 

New Innovations

Recent airbag innovations include inflatable safety belts, front-center airbags, external hood airbags, motorcycle airbags, and bicycle helmet airbags – to name a few. 

Seat belt airbags are one recent type of innovation in vehicular airbag technology.

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE AIRBAGS IN REDUCING THE RISK OF DEATH IN A CRASH?

Frontal Airbags: 

From 1987 to 2017, the NHTSA estimates that frontal air bags saved 50,457 lives. That’s enough people to fill a major league ballpark.

In frontal crashes, frontal airbags reduce driver fatalities by 29 percent and fatalities of front-seat passengers age 13 and older by 30 percent. The fatality reduction in frontal crashes is larger for belted drivers (52 percent) compared with unbelted drivers (21 percent). NHTSA estimates that the combination of an airbag plus a lap and shoulder seatbelt reduces the risk of death by 51 percent, compared with a 45 percent reduction for belts alone in frontal crashes. 

Side Airbags:

NHTSA estimates that as of 2012-2016, 2,252 lives have been saved by side airbags. Side airbags with head protection reduce a car driver’s risk of death in driver-side crashes by 37 percent and a SUV driver’s risk by 52 percent, an analysis of U.S. crashes showed. Side airbags designed to protect only the torso reduce fatality risk by 26 percent for car drivers and by 30 percent for SUV drivers. A study of crashes in Australia found that side airbags with head and torso protection reduce a car driver’s risk of death or injury in driver-side crashes by 41 percent. Similar trends were found in a NHTSA study focusing on the fatality risk to drivers and right-front-seat passenger vehicles involved in nearside crashes. Curtain airbags and torso airbags together reduce the risk of death by 31 percent, and combination head/torso airbags reduce the risk by 25 percent. The death reduction was lower in vehicles equipped only with a curtain airbag (16 percent) or only with a torso airbag (8 percent).  

The crucial role played by head-protecting side airbags is illustrated by the results of the NHTSA’s side-impact crash tests, which measure how well passenger vehicles would protect occupants in a side crash. Since the program began in 2003, all the vehicles earning good ratings have been equipped with side airbags that protect the head. However, airbags alone aren’t enough. Vehicles also need side structures that resist major intrusion into the occupant compartment.

WHAT CAN DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS DO TO PREVENT INJURIES FROM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTS?

Vehicles provide optimal protection when occupants are belted and sitting in the proper position. Drivers and front-seat passengers should sit in the center of the seat upright against the seatback with feet on the floor. Arms and legs should never be resting against an airbag because the forces of a deploying airbag and the hot gases exhausted by the airbag may cause injury. Women in the late stages of pregnancy may not be able to get their abdomens far away enough from the steering wheel to be safe. They should avoid driving whenever possible. 

Areas on or around airbags should be free of objects that can either alter the proper deployment of airbags or become dangerous projectiles within the vehicle. Aftermarket dash covers may block a frontal airbag and seat covers may block a seat-mounted side airbag from proper deployment or redirect the airbag in a way that is dangerous. 

Drivers:

Drivers should sit with their chests at least 10 inches away from the center of the steering wheel. For shorter drivers with the seat positioned further forward, this can often be achieved by slightly reclining the seatback. Many newer airbags take into account seating position and deploy with less force if an occupant is sitting close. For drivers of older vehicles who cannot get far enough away from the steering wheel, pedal extenders or an airbag on/off switch may be an option. The government allows installation of switches on vehicles manufactured before Sept. 1, 2015. 

Pregnant Women:

Women in the late stages of pregnancy may not be able to get their abdomens far away enough from the steering wheel to be safe. There can be a risk of fetal injury from a frontal airbag if it inflates. However, without the airbag, there is a risk of fetal injury from hitting the steering wheel. Women in the late stages of pregnancy should avoid driving whenever possible. If they must drive, the combination of properly positioned safety belts and airbags offers the best protection. 

Infants and Children:

How and where infants and children are restrained in a vehicle are critical factors in avoiding airbag-related injuries. Infants, particularly those in rear-facing safety seats, should never sit in the front because this puts an infant’s head too close to the frontal airbag. Rear seats are always safest for infants and children. Seventeen states have provisions requiring children of various ages to be seated in the rear. Even if your state’s law does not require children to sit in the rear, children 12 and younger should always sit restrained in rear seats. 

If an adult is transporting too many children for them all to sit safely and comfortably in the back, the youngest children should ride in the back. When a child does need to ride in the front seat, the seat should be as far back as possible and the child should be securely buckled in a lap/shoulder belt and sitting against the seatback. If a driver routinely has to put a child in the front seat of an older vehicle, an airbag on/off switch may be considered. 

Nearly all older children killed by frontal airbags were either unbelted or improperly belted. But even belted children can be at risk if they wiggle out of position or sit on the edge of the seat, putting the head too close to the airbag. 

Children should not lean against the door area where the side airbag is stored because the initial deployment force may be harmful. With or without an airbag, children who lean against doors or lie down with their heads near the doors or sides of vehicles are at higher risk of injury in the event of a side impact. All vehicle manufacturers have committed to following a test protocol for designing side airbag systems that assures that the inflation injury risk is low, even for small children who might lie down or assume other positions against a deploying side airbag. 

COURTROOM EXPERIENCE

The St. Paul, MN Car Accident Lawyers at Schmidt Salita Law Team know that it is extremely important to have a personal injury lawyer who can effectively present your case to a Judge and Jury if the case cannot be settled without trial. Our Trucking Accident Lawyers have actual trial experience in the Courtrooms of Hennepin County as well as many other counties around the state – even in other states. They have “been there, done that” and won!

PERSONAL INJURY WITH PERSONAL CARE

The St. Paul Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team are dedicated to providing legal services with personal attention and care to each case. They are 5-star rated and recommended by satisfied clients thanks to their professional etiquette as well as verified, high-damages awards.

CONTINGENT FEE ARRANGEMENTS AVAILABLE

The St. Paul Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team understand that the victims of personal injury are often dealing with financial issues due to medical bills, car damage, and lost wages and earnings. Most do not have the financial resources to pay for a lawyer on an hourly basis – especially for a really good lawyer. The answer to this dilemma is the contingent fee contract where the lawyer doesn’t get paid by the hour. Instead, the lawyer gets paid on a “commission basis” like a real estate agent, as a percentage of the settlement produced. The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers contingent fee contracts in most cases. 

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.

COMMERICAL TRUCK’S BLACK BOX RECORDERS PROVIDE VALUABLE EVIDENCE

Most commercial trucks are equipped with “Electronic Control Modules” (ECM’s) or “Event Data Recorders” (EDR’s) that record and preserve evidence that can be extremely valuable as key evidence in litigation involving a trucking collision. Preservation of electronic data from these devices is the most reliable and objective source of evidence about the collision, which could be a rare occurrence when the parties of the litigation offer conflicting accounts of an accident. 

Each year over 500,000 trucking collisions occur in the United States. Approximately 5,000 of these collisions involved the death of a person. Many more involve serious injury to an individual or to their property. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides the following certified definition of these devices: 

 A device installed in a motor vehicle to record technical vehicle occupant information for a brief period of time (seconds, not minutes) before, during and after a crash. For instance, they may record:

1. 1. 1.  pre-crash vehicle dynamics and system status, 

      2.  driver inputs, 

      3.  vehicle crash signature,  

      4. restraint uses/a deployment status, and 

      5.  post crash data, such as the act of activation of an Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) system. 

The Schmidt Salita Law Team specializes in lawsuits regarding commercial trucking accidents.

Verifiable information that can be uploaded and downloaded from these “black boxes” include the truck’s speed history, rpm data, heavy braking, speed, exceptions, movement summary, fast accelerations, accident reports, driver identification, idle time, fuel consumption and seating driving time limits. 

The Trucking Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have experience in dealing with, and effectively utilizing, evidence obtained from black box recordings in commercial trucks.  

Recently, evidence obtained from the black box of a large commercial truck was valuable in bringing justice to the family of a farmer who was killed when his pickup truck and was hit from behind in a rear end collision by a large commercial truck.     

COURTROOM EXPERIENCE

The St. Paul, MN Car Accident Lawyers know that it is extremely important to have a personal injury lawyer who can effectively present your case to a Judge and Jury if the case cannot be settled without trial. Our Trucking Accident Lawyers have actual trial experience in the Courtrooms of Hennepin County as well as many other counties around the state – even in other states. They have “been there, done that” and won!

PERSONAL INJURY WITH PERSONAL CARE

The Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team are dedicated to providing legal services with personal attention and care to each case. They are 5-star rated and recommended by satisfied clients thanks to their professional etiquette as well as verified, high-damages awards.

CONTINGENT FEE ARRANGEMENTS AVAILABLE

The Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team understand that the victims of personal injury are often dealing with financial issues due to medical bills, car damage, and lost wages and earnings. Most do not have the financial resources to pay for a lawyer on an hourly basis – especially for a really good lawyer. The answer to this dilemma is the contingent fee contract where the lawyer doesn’t get paid by the hour. Instead, the lawyer gets paid on a “commission basis” like a real estate agent, as a percentage of the settlement produced. The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers contingent fee contracts in most cases. 

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.

MINNEAPOLIS WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWYERS – TOP LAWYER DEAN SALITA 

The Minneapolis Workers Compensation Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team features attorney Dean Salita, one of the most highly recommended and qualified workers’ compensation lawyers in the entire State of Minnesota. Dean Salita currently serves as Chair of the Workers Compensation Committee of the Minnesota Association of Justice, formerly the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association. He was elected to that position by other lawyers who focus their practice on workers’ compensation claims. 

Mr. Salita’s years of experience, and his astute knowledge of Minnesota’s workers compensation laws, allow him to provide certified value to the workers’ compensation cases of his clients.

MINNEAPOLIS WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWYERS – WORKPLACE INJURIES. 

The Minneapolis Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have specialized knowledge and verified experience representing the victims of a wide variety of workplace injuries, including: 

• neck and back injuries; 

• amputation injuries; 

• concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s); 

• burn injuries; 

• cardiac (heart) injuries; 

• internal organ injuries (spleen, intestines, kidney, etc.); 

• orthopedic injuries to bones and joints; and

• neurological injuries. 

MINNEAPOLIS WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWYERS – WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS. 

The families of the victims of wrongful death in workplace injuries are also entitled to workers compensation death awards, which can be very substantial. The Schmidt Salita Law Team has high-level experience in bringing the full value of Minnesota Workers’ Compensation benefits to the families of the victims of workplace death injuries.

ST. PAUL WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAWYERS HAVE 70 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE. 

The Schmidt Salita Law Team has over 70 years of experience in successfully representing the victims of car accidents in both District Court claims and in no-fault arbitrations. Senior trial lawyer Douglas Schmidt was one of the first attorneys appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court to serve on the committee that established the first set of rules for no-fault arbitration in Minnesota. Mr. Schmidt served as the draftsman of the first, second and third edition of these rules. For nearly 20 years he served, by appointment of the Minnesota Supreme Court, as an arbitrator. Since then it is estimated that Mr. Schmidt has won nearly 2,000 cases – and therefore 2,000 successful awards – for his clients. He is recognized as the Leading Minnesota No-Fault Lawyer. He has been asked by the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association and the Minnesota Association of Justice to lecture on the subject of Minnesota No-Fault Law and has authored numerous articles on the subject in legal publications. 

OUR CERTIFIED ST. PAUL WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAWYERS SUCCESSFULLY FIGHT FOR ALL BENEFITS TO WHICH  THE INJURED WORKER IS ENTITLED. 

The Schmidt Salita Law Team handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian car accidents, and bicycle accidents.  The Team has many years’ experience in workers’ compensation, products liability and medical malpractice cases.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team has extensive experience with concussion injuries, traumatic brain injuries, neck and back injuries, whiplash injuries, broken bones, injured joint injuries (knee, hip, shoulder, wrist, ankle, spinal), amputation injuries, and vision and eye injuries.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team has offices through out the State of Minnesota.  Its primary location is at Ridgedale Office Center in Minnetonka, near the intersection of I394 and I494.  The offices are ground level, handicap accessible with ample parking.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team Offers Contingent Fee Arrangements

The firm offers contingent fee agreements (You don’t pay lawyers fees until you collect and then only as a percentage of the settlement).  It also offers home and hospital visits to clients whose injuries present difficulty in coming to the office.

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers high quality legal services to the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle collisions, distracted driving, and pedestrian collisions. The firm serves clients in the entire Twin Cities Metropolitan area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka, Apple Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Buffalo, Burnsville, Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Cottage Grove, Delano, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Elk River, Golden Valley, Lakeville, Mankato, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Medina, Minnetonka, Monticello, Mound, New Ulm, Oakdale, Orono, Ostego, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Richfield, Rockford, Roseville, Sartell, Savage, Sauk Rapids, Shakopee, Shorewood, South St. Paul, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, St. Michael, St. Peter, Stillwater, Waconia, Waite Park, Wayzata, Woodbury and surrounding areas.

NO-FAULT ARBITRATIONS IN CAR ACCIDENTS 

Pursuant to Minnesota law, car accident disputes between an injured person and an insurance company should be resolved by mandatory arbitration if the case seeks less than $10,000 in damages on the date the lawsuit is filed. If the case seeks less than $10,000 in damages at the time of filing, an unlimited amount of post-filing claims can be added while still staying under the maximum limit. The Schmidt Salita Law Team has handled cases where the claim was as high as $60-$70,000 because of the accrual of post-filing claims.  

The American Arbitration Association has been designated by the Minnesota Supreme Court as the administrator of Minnesota no-fault arbitration proceedings. The arbitrator is selected from a list of attorneys appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, pursuant to a selection process specified by the rules of arbitration governing Minnesota no-fault disputes. 

There are many benefits of using no-fault arbitration. We’ve outlined some below:

• Arbitration is far less expensive than the other alternative, which is filing a lawsuit in District Court.
• Arbitration hearings are shorter than going to trial and can typically be conducted in a one half day proceeding. On the flip side, District Court jury trials last anywhere from 2-4 days.
• The rules of evidence are far more user-friendly in arbitration. For example, medical reports and records are admitted into evidence for arbitration, whereas the testimony of the doctors is required in District Court. 

The American Arbitration Association reported that in 2016, 5,792 cases were filed for no-fault arbitration. Of that number, 54% of all cases proceeded all the way through arbitration and to a final award. Conversely, 37% settled prior to the arbitration hearing. The median number of days it takes to go from the lawsuit filing date to the filing of a damages award is 183 days. 

Pursuant to Minnesota law, car accidents may use no-fault arbitration rules or at-fault arbitration rules, depending on the amount of damages sought.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team has over 70 years of experience in successfully representing the victims of car accidents in both District Court claims and in no-fault arbitrations. Senior trial lawyer Douglas Schmidt was one of the first attorneys appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court to serve on the committee that established the first set of rules for no-fault arbitration in Minnesota. Mr. Schmidt served as the draftsman of the first, second and third edition of these rules. For nearly 20 years he served, by appointment of the Minnesota Supreme Court, as an arbitrator. Since then it is estimated that Mr. Schmidt has won nearly 2,000 cases – and therefore 2,000 successful awards – for his clients. He is recognized as the Leading Minnesota No-Fault Lawyer. He has been asked by the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association and the Minnesota Association of Justice to lecture on the subject of Minnesota No-Fault Law and has authored numerous articles on the subject in legal publications. 

The members of the Schmidt Salita Law Team are happy to meet with the victims of personal injury and or wrongful death to explain their rights under both the Minnesota No-Fault Insurance system and under the “at-fault” system as well. 

Contingent Fee Arrangements Available.

The Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team understand that the victims of personal injury are often dealing with financial issues due to medical bills, car damage, and lost wages and earnings. Most do not have the financial resources to pay for a lawyer on an hourly basis – especially for a really good lawyer. The answer to this dilemma is the contingent fee contract where the lawyer doesn’t get paid by the hour. Instead, the lawyer gets paid on a “commission basis” like a real estate agent, as a percentage of the settlement produced. The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers contingent fee contracts in most cases. 

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.

Law enforcement is a dangerous occupation and police officers are often injured due to the actions of a suspect, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Police Officers know that they are able to recover workers’ compensation benefits such as wage loss, medical benefits, and rehabilitation benefits, but many officers do not know that in some circumstances they may also sue the person or entity that caused their injuries.

Work Comp Benefits are generally based on a “no fault” system. It does not matter who or what caused your injury. All that matters is the injuries arise out of your employment. Work Comp benefits are paid through the city, county, or State’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Many cities and counties are self-insured to an extent, or use a trust that spreads out the risk among a group of cities or counties, such as MCIT or League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust. Work Comp claims are governed by the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Act and follow administrative law rules.

In addition to work comp, injured officers may also receive PERA or MSRS Duty Disability benefits. In order to receive duty disability benefits, a police officer must generally show that they were injured while conducting inherently dangerous duties specific to law enforcement, and that this disability prevents them from performing the normal duties of a police officer for at least one year. Duty Disability benefits entitle an officer to non-taxable benefits until age 55, at which time the disability converts to a regular retirement benefit. You may also be entitled to HealthCare Continuation benefits under Minnesota Statute § 299A.465, which entitles you and sometimes your family to health care coverage until age 65. PERA and MSRS Benefits are not based on a fault or negligence system.

If you are injured by a suspect, then a third-party is responsible for your injuries. While you cannot bring a personal injury lawsuit against your employer, you may bring a lawsuit against that suspect. A personal injury lawsuit is filed in district court and may entitle injured plaintiffs (the party bringing the suit) to past and future wage loss, past and future pain and suffering, and past and future medical treatment. Personal injury lawsuits are not as limited as work comp is. Damages in cases where the police officer is no longer able to return to work can be very high. Work comp also does not allow plaintiffs to sue for pain and suffering. In limited circumstances, plaintiffs may allege punitive damages as well other types of claims for the conduct that caused the injury.

If a police officer is injured by a negligent driver or injured while attempting to arrest a fleeing or resisting suspect, then you may recover against that responsible party. While many suspects who injure police officers are difficult to recover against—meaning they do not have assets that can be accessed after a successful lawsuit—there may be insurance available depending on the circumstances, meaning the squad car’s insurance, your personal car insurance, or homeowners’ insurance.

At Schmidt Salita Law Team, we have successfully represented police officers against negligent third-parties or suspects who have injured officers, some who have attempted to flee or resist arrest and even more commonly in cases where officers were injured in car accidents. We also represent officers in procuring PERA or MSRS duty disability benefits and health care continuation benefits under Minnesota Statute § 299A.465, and workers’ compensation claims. We are experienced litigators who are knowledgeable about these complicated cases with multiple layers of coordinating benefits. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

The Schmidt Salita Team Offers Contingent Fee Arrangements

The firm offers contingent fee agreements (You don’t pay lawyers fees until you collect and then only as a percentage of the settlement).  It also offers home and hospital visits to clients whose injuries present difficulty in coming to the office.

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers high quality legal services to the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle collisions, distracted driving, and pedestrian collisions. The firm serves clients in the entire Twin Cities Metropolitan area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka, Apple Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Buffalo, Burnsville, Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Cottage Grove, Delano, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Elk River, Golden Valley, Lakeville, Mankato, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Medina, Minnetonka, Monticello, Mound, New Ulm, Oakdale, Orono, Ostego, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Richfield, Rockford, Roseville, Sartell, Savage, Sauk Rapids, Shakopee, Shorewood, South St. Paul, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, St. Michael, St. Peter, Stillwater, Waconia, Waite Park, Wayzata, Woodbury and surrounding areas.

We frequently receive calls asking for help after injured workers receive a “Notice of Intent to Discontinue Benefits” or a NOID. Injured workers who were once receiving ongoing wage loss benefits are suddenly cut off. People may be in a tough economic position, after relying on this ongoing wage loss.

If you have received a Notice of Intent to Discontinue Benefits or a “NOID” then the work comp insurer is attempting to stop paying you benefits. Adjusters for insurance companies issue these for a variety of reasons, but frequently these are sent after the adjuster sends you to their doctor to do “an independent exam.” Injured workers learn too late that these doctors are not independent and instead are paid by the insurer.

Before cutting off wage loss benefits, the insurance company must issue a written notice of their intent do so. This notice must also be sent to the State of Minnesota. Failure to do so properly may result in the continuation of your wage loss benefits.

There is a limited time period for you to object to the insurance company’s attempt to stop paying you wage loss benefits, such as temporary total disability or temporary partial disability benefits. If you do not object right away, you may have to wait months before getting into court in front of a workers’ compensation judge. You should retain an attorney as soon as possible to assist with objection to the employer and insurer’s attempt to stop paying you. You do not need to automatically accept that your benefits will be terminated for the reasons set forth by the work comp insurer. Sometimes, this discontinuance is proper—you returned to work or your treating physician lifted all of your restrictions.

Properly objecting to will result in a scheduled conference for this issue, which will be held by a workers’ compensation judge at the Officer of Administrative Hearings. This hearing is known as a “.239 Conference” since the procedure for this conference is governed by Minnesota Statute § 176.239. In the interim, before the hearing in front of the judge, you will not receive wage loss benefits. This hearing is held a few weeks after your objection to the discontinuance is filed. The .239 hearings are currently being held by conference call. During these hearings you may testify, your attorney will argue on your behalf, and the adjuster or the defense attorney will argue their position.

The work comp judge normally issues their opinion very quickly, as they’re aware that people need to know whether they will or will not continue to receive ongoing benefits. Both parties then have an opportunity to appeal the decision. If a party appeals, then the matter will be set for a formal hearing. If the employee wins, then they will receive the back pay owed and continue to receive ongoing pay.

Employers and insurers may issue a NOID when they allege that you returned to work without a wage loss, or that your doctor determined you are at MMI (maximum medical improvement), or the doctor for the insurer and employer found you did not have a work injury or your injury was resolved, or they believe you are not diligently looking for alternative employment. These allegations may be fought with proper legal knowledge and an attorney may help you reestablish benefits. Experienced work comp attorneys recognize common mistakes that employers and insurers make when issuing NOIDs.

Contact the knowledgeable work comp attorneys at Schmidt Salita Law Team today for a free, no-obligation consultation if you have been issued a NOID and are afraid that your work comp benefits are going to be terminated.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team Offers Contingent Fee Arrangements

The firm offers contingent fee agreements (You don’t pay lawyers fees until you collect and then only as a percentage of the settlement).  It also offers home and hospital visits to clients whose injuries present difficulty in coming to the office.

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers high quality legal services to the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle collisions, distracted driving, and pedestrian collisions. The firm serves clients in the entire Twin Cities Metropolitan area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka, Apple Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Buffalo, Burnsville, Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Cottage Grove, Delano, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Elk River, Golden Valley, Lakeville, Mankato, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Medina, Minnetonka, Monticello, Mound, New Ulm, Oakdale, Orono, Ostego, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Richfield, Rockford, Roseville, Sartell, Savage, Sauk Rapids, Shakopee, Shorewood, South St. Paul, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, St. Michael, St. Peter, Stillwater, Waconia, Waite Park, Wayzata, Woodbury and surrounding areas.

From left to right: Attorneys Stephanie Schommer, Dean Salita, Doug Schmidt, Mary Beth Boyce and Josh Laabs.

The Personal Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have earned the top recommendations and awards from respected legal authorities, including the following:

Five Star-Rated by Happy Clients.

The highest and best recommendation that any lawyer can achieve is that of recommendations by happy and satisfied clients who have personally experienced the quality of the services offered by the lawyers. Recommendations from happy and satisfied clients are very strong indicators of a law firm’s work ethic. We follow this mantra at the Schmidt Salita Law Team – we are proud to be 5-star rated thanks to our happy clients.

AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory.

The most respected legal directory that rates the quality of legal services is called Martindale Hubbell. Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyers have achieved the AV-rating, which is the highest possible rating. The “A” stands for the quality of legal services provided. The “V” stands for the quality of ethics and professionalism.

Respected by Judges, Lawyers and Claims Adjusters – Award of Merit & Other Awards 

The American Bar Association has recognized Schmidt Salita Senior Trial Lawyer Doug Schmidt with the Award of Merit.

Schmidt Salita lawyer Doug Schmidt is also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association.

The editorial staff of the Law Review of William Mitchell College of Law recommended Attorney Schmidt as “an accomplished product liability litigator” with a track record of success against large corporations. Douglas Schmidt has served as Adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota Law School, William Mitchell College of Law, Hamline College of Law, Gustavus Adolphus College and the Northwestern Health Sciences University. 

Similarly, Senior trial lawyer Dean Salita has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and maintains the highest rating of “AV” rated by Martindale Hubbell. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Committee for the Minnesota Association of Justice. He has an excellent track record of bringing great settlements to his clients’ cases.

The Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyers have earned numerous awards from reputable organizations such as the American Bar Association, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, the Minnesota Association for Justice and other respected institutions.

Schmidt Salita Law Team is reviewed and recommended by Expertise.com. The Team is certified as having an “A+” for professionalism, and an “A+” for reputation.

A Personal Injury Team With Personal Care.

The exceptional track record of Schmidt Salita Law Team speaks for itself with over 70 years of experience in over 10,000 cases, producing over $100 million in recoveries for their clients. The Car Accident Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team are dedicated to providing legal services with personal attention and care to each case. 

Contingent Fee Arrangements Available.

The Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team understand that the victims of personal injury are often dealing with financial issues due to medical bills, car damage, and lost wages and earnings. Most do not have the financial resources to pay for a lawyer on an hourly basis – especially for a really good lawyer. The answer to this dilemma is the contingent fee contract where the lawyer doesn’t get paid by the hour. Instead, the lawyer gets paid on a “commission basis” like a real estate agent, as a percentage of the settlement produced. The Schmidt Salita Law Team offers contingent fee contracts in most cases. 

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.

Know Your Rights: Lawyers for Personal Injury – Minnesota

When you’ve been injured due to the fault or negligence of another person, you have the right under Minnesota law to receive compensation for your disability, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. You are also entitled to compensation to reimburse your medical expenses, any wages or earnings losses from being unable to work, or any other out-of-pocket expenses that you may have incurred. 

The Minnesota personal injury lawyers at the Schmidt Salida Law Team have collectively over 70 years of experience in bringing justice to the victims of personal injurythroughout the entire state of Minnesota, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Rochester, Mankato, St. Cloud, Duluth, and surrounding areas. 

The Minneapolis personal injury lawyers at the Schmidt Salida Law Team know that, when you’ve been injured, it is important to know your rights. For that reason, our Team offers a free consultation with a lawyer to help the injured person understand the legal rights available. 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS LAWYERS – CAR ACCIDENT CLAIMS: MINNESOTA

If you have been injured in a car accident in Minnesota, it is especially important to know your rights about Minnesota No-fault claims and Minnesota At-fault claims. Because of

 that vital knowledge, the Minnesota Know Your Rights Lawyers at the Schmidt Salida Law Team offer both a free consultation and a free downloadable brochure entitled, The A-B-C’s of Motor Vehicle Collisions and Personal Injury Claims In Minnesota. This brochure, written by Our Team’s most senior attorney, Doug Schmidt, is a great resource for finding specific answers to your most important car accident questions. It also explains crucial legal terms for you in plain English.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS LAWYERS – WORKERS’ COMPENSATION: MINNESOTA 

Minnesota’s Workers’ Compensation system is fairly complicated. Many victims of Minnesota workplace injuries, who just accept the first offer from a workers’ compensation insurance adjuster, are missing out on money that they richly deserve under the law. It is a huge mistake to assume that the insurance adjuster will offer full compensation to injured workers who don’t hire an attorney. Importantly, the Minnesota workers’ compensation attorneys at the Schmidt Salita Law Team offer a Free Consultation to injured workers so that you can Know Your Rights about getting fair compensation under the Minnesota workers’ compensation law. 

Further information: 

concussioninjury.com

ironrangelawcenter.com

minnesotainjurylawcenter.com

cancerlaw.com

www.americanbar.org 

Minnesota Auto Insurance Guide

Minnesota Labor Department: Workers’ Comp Benefits, General Information

Minnesota Labor Department: Workers’ Comp FAQ’s

Minnesota Commerce Department: Auto Insurance Basics

Minnesota Labor Department: Workers’ Comp Information for Workers

BEST PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER – HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA 

Hennepin County is the legal center of the metropolitan Twin Cities. The Hennepin County Government Center, located in downtown Minneapolis, is the regional hub of major litigation. The Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have over 70 years experience in successfully bringing justice to their personal injury clients in Hennepin County’s courtrooms, as well as courtrooms across the State of Minnesota. 

 5-STAR RATED INJURY LAWYERS 

The Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team are 5-star rated by their clients who have experienced the personalized quality of their legal work, individual care and thoughtful dedication given to every case.  

AV-RATED INJURY LAW FIRM

The Schmidt Salita Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers are AV-Rated by the most respected legal directory, Martindale Hubbell.  The firm is rated AV-Rated: A for the highest quality legal services, and V for the very best professional and ethical standards.  That rating is made by Judges and other lawyers who have personal knowledge of the quality of their work and ethics. Similarly, the firm is A+ Rated for Professionalism and A+ Rated for Reputation by Expertise.com.

Collectively, the firm has over 70 years of experience successfully representing the victims of personal injury in over 10,000 cases.

AWARD WINNING INJURY ATTORNEYS 

The Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers are award winning, having received awards from the American Bar Association, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, and the Minnesota Association for Justice. 

OUR LAWYERS CAN HELP WITH CONCUSSION-RELATED INJURIES: A POTENTIALLY SEVERE PROBLEM

A concussion injury is a mild Traumatic Brain Injury, otherwise called a “TBI.”  But there is nothing “mild” about its severe impact in terms of incidence and severity. The risks at play with concussions include the potential of personal lost function and total economics loss.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are 1.4 million TBIs that result in hospital and emergency department visits every year. 50% of these cases “fly under the radar”, never seeking medical attention. That means that there were really more than 2.8 million total cases, 75 to 90% of which fall into the mild category.

Yet, there is nothing mild about a “mild” TBI. That term is used in the medical literature to reference those TBIs that do not involve a skull fracture, a closed head injury without a hematoma or bleeding, and those that do not show positive organic damage on MRI or CT scanning.

Mild TBIs can often result in severe disability, including cognitive dysfunction, severe visual impairment, and severe balance and dizziness disorders. They can result in delayed major health problems, including delayed seizure disorders, Parkinson’s disease, early Alzheimers and dementia, and even infectious diseases.

Concussion Injuries Have Been Overlooked For Many Decades.

The severity of concussion injuries has been overlooked for decades. The NFL ignored the horrible brain damage of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy from concussion injuries for over 30 years. It has been called to public attention back in 1986 by the National Brain Injury Foundation (NBIF) which disclosed that autopsy studies had provided proof positive that “even minor blows to the head” with only brief periods of unconsciousness could produce permanent damage to the brain. 30 years later, a study of 202 brains of professional football players revealed proof positive of “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy” (CTE).

In 1996, the U.S. Congress tried to remedy this ignorance by passing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act. In 1986, the Center for Disease Control attempted to educate the medical community, publishing “Heads Up-Facts For Physicians About Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)”. In 2011, the Minnesota legislature recognized the problem and passed the Minnesota Sports Concussion Law (Minn. Stat. 121A.38.) In spite of these heroic measures, the “Silent Epidemic” has continued to be ignored.

Concussion Injuries Continue to be Overlooked Today.

It has long been recognized that the same forces that cause “whiplash of the spine” also cause “whiplash of the brain”, or concussion. The symptoms of both are quite common, especially headaches. In 2016, the Brain Injury Association of America acknowledged that (1) concussion injuries are not always understood as brain injury, (2) they are frequently not diagnosed or underdiagnosed, and (3) subsequent problems not associated with the concussion are common.

It is a fact that a large percentage of medical doctors fail to provide concussion screening to car accident victims at a level of scrutiny even close to the level, required by law, for youth athletes! Recognizing this problem, our law firm routinely screens new car accident victims for concussions. We have found that approximately 60% of the victims of moderate to severe car accidents have presumptive evidence of a concussion injury. Well more than ½ have not been diagnosed by a medical doctor or other health care provider. This is a problem of massive proportions.

Basic Concussion Screening is Very Simple – But Often Misunderstood.

Basic concussion screening is not difficult. Remember that the goal is not to reach a definitive diagnosis. Instead, it is simply to do a “quick and dirty” preliminary screen to look for presumptive evidence of a concussion that would call for a referral to a concussion expert. Presumptive evidence is sometimes called circumstantial evidence. It shows the existence of one fact by proving the existence of other facts, from which the first may be inferred. Here’s one example of “quick and dirty” screening:

Step #1: Ask detailed questions about the patient’s memory of the traumatic event, both before and after. Remember that loss of memory of details before the trauma is “anterograde amnesia” which is strong evidence of a TBI. Loss of memory of details after the trauma is “retrograde amnesia,” which is the strongest evidence of a concussion, more than actual loss of consciousness.

Step #2: Ask about loss of consciousness (LOC). Remember that LOC can be total (coma) or partial (lethargy or stupor). Mere confusion or disorientation is a partial loss of consciousness sufficient to be evidence of a concussion injury.

Step #3: Use one of the well-recognized screening tools such as the Rivermead Post Concussion Questionaire or the SCAT5. Either can be given to the patient for self-assessment in the waiting room and then reviewed with the Doctor during the examination. Both screening tools ask the patient to identify classical symptoms of Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) such as headache, nausea, blurred vision, mental confusion, etc., and then to self-rate the severity of each.

TOP WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWYERS 

The Schmidt Salita Law Team includes Hennepin County’s top workers compensation attorneys. 

TOXIC EXPOSURE & WORK-RELATED INJURY CASES 

Schmidt Salita’s Henneping County Personal Injury Lawyers include attorneys with direct experience representing the victims of exposure injuries from lead, TCE, pesticides and herbicides, and other highly toxic chemicals – as well as infectious diseases.  

Respiratory Disease: There are at least six disorders associated with exposure to airborne dust in farming: hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS), chronic bronchitis (CB), acute pulmonary symptoms (APS), asthma, and mucous membrane irritation (MMI). HP is caused by exposure to antigens found in silage and in spoiled hay and grain. HP is commonly seen on dairy farms but has also been found on farms where grain is stored in drying bins and is found in poultry houses and mushroom houses. ODTS occurs after exposure to large amounts of organic dust. Workers affected by ODTS include those uncapping silos on dairy farms, cleaning grain bins, moving moldy grain, and working in swine confinement facilities. The precise cause of CB, other than airborne dust, has not been isolated; nor have the individuals who are at high risk been identified. However, workers in swine confinement areas, poultry farmers, and handlers of grain appear to have risks of suffering from CB. The occurrence of APS has been studied in grain farmers and swine confinement workers, and both groups have exhibited symptoms. Asthma can be triggered by many farm antigens. Also, many farm antigens cause MMI.

In addition to airborne dust, some gases can cause acute toxicity. The primary locations of these gases are silos, manure pits, and modern semi-enclosed animal production buildings. Soon after corn is ensiled, nitrogen oxide levels begin increasing and continue to increase for about seven days. Anyone entering silos during the first two weeks after filling may experience difficult or labored breathing or, in the extreme case, death. Hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide are some of the toxic gases emanating from manure pits, especially when the manure is being agitated. Even when the levels of these gases are not high enough to be fatal, unconsciousness may cause drowning or near-drowning in manure liquids. High levels of ammonia have been documented in poultry and swine confinement facilities, especially in winter. Concentrations of ammonia in these facilities would ordinarily be only a strong irritant to the eyes, nose, and throat but when combined with organic dust they could cause pulmonary damage.

Cancers: Leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and cancers of the lip, skin, stomach, prostate, and brain have excessive occurrences in farmers. The marked frequency of these cancers in farmers have not been conclusively identified. However, “cancers of the skin and lip are linked to increased exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Other common exposures like nitrates, pesticides, viruses, antigenic stimulants, various fuels, oils, and solvents are the primary suspects for many cancers. Some evidence indicates women on farms have higher incident rates of multiple myeloma than men on farms.

Pesticide Toxicity: Exposure to pesticides can produce acute and chronic toxic reactions. Acute reactions develop immediately after moderate or high exposures to pesticides. Symptoms of acute toxic reactions include dizziness, vomiting, headache, fatigue, drowsiness, and skin rashes. Although this area of toxicity is not yet fully scientifically documented, some of the suspected chronic effects are central nervous system damage, lung diseases, soft tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and lung cancer. More research on the chronic effects of pesticide exposure is required.

Dermatitis: Occupational dermatitis is very common among workers on U.S. farms. Among the agents causing dermatitis and related skin conditions are ammonia fertilizers, animal feed additives, pesticides, plants, sunlight, cattle, swine, sheep, moist and hot environments, and chiggers, bees, and wasps.

Musculoskeletal Syndromes: Degenerative musculoskeletal syndromes are widespread among farmers and farm workers. Low back pain, hip arthrosis, and degenerative arthritis of the knee and upper extremities are the most reported syndromes. Chronic vibration from tractors and farm machinery and repetitive trauma associated with farm work can lead to musculoskeletal syndromes.

Noise-induced Hearing Loss: Another occupational hazard for farmers and farm workers is hearing loss caused by exposure to farm machinery, especially tractors. Hearing losses affect about a quarter of younger farmers and one-half of older farmers. Significant numbers of those affected have been found to develop a communication handicap by age 30.

Stress-Related Mental Disorders: Farmers, farmworkers, and farm family members have high rates of stress-related mental disorders, especially depression. Some of these disorders appear to be related to isolation, and others result from agricultural stressors such as economic hardship and weather conditions. Factors beyond a farmer’s control, such as reduced revenue, increased workload, weather, management problems, were found to cause significant mental stress.

CAR ACCIDENT EXPERTS

The Car Accident Attorneys at Schmidt Salita Law know just how stressful and lonely it can feel after experiencing a car accident. Challenges quickly pile one on top of the other, including healing personal injuries, comforting the accident victims and their family, processing emotional or mental trauma, finding enough money for car repairs, and dealing with the insurance companies. Recognizing these substantial challenges, the Schmidt Salita Law Team has crafted a free, downloadable guide to help. We call it the ABC’s of Motor Vehicle & Personal Injury Claims in Minnesota.

CONVENIENT LOCATION

The Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyers live in the west metro area and have served the residents of Orono, Mound, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Shorewood, Excelsior, Plymouth and Maple Grove for over 30 years.  Their offices are conveniently located in the Ridgedale Office center in Minnetonka, near the Ridgedale Shopping Center.

You don’t have to go downtown for a great personal injury lawyer. Our main office is conveniently located to be easily accessible to all of Hennepin County. They are located in the Ridgedale Office building near the intersection of I494 and I394, near Ridgedale Shopping Center. This location offers ample ground level parking with easy, handicapped accessible walk-in access. 

Remember – YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN FOR A TOP PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER! The Schmidt Salita Trucking Accident Lawyers offer legal services for Minnesota’s truck accident victims equal to, or better than, the lawyers in their downtown offices. Schmidt Schmidt Salita’s Legal Experts have easily accessible offices in suburban locations. Our clients don’t have to fight the traffic, pay for a parking place and wander through the downtown skyway maze to find their lawyer’s office.

CONTINGENT FEE ARRANGEMENTS AVAILABLE

A contingent fee agreement means you don’t have to pay for the lawyer’s service “up front.” Your lawyer agrees to work on your case without any payment until the lawyer produces a settlement. The lawyer will only get paid when the client receives compensation from a settlement or court judgment – and then as a percentage of the recovery.

Contingent fee agreements for lawyers are very similar to those of real estate agents who do their work without pay until the house gets sold; only then do the agents collect their fees as a percentage of the property’s total sales price.

This type of agreement has two big advantages. First, it allows the client to get the services of a personal injury attorney when they otherwise wouldn’t be financially able to pay for one. Second, a contingent fee agreement has a built-in incentive for the lawyer to do a good job because the larger the settlement the more the attorney is paid.

RECENT SUCCESSES 

The Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team are proud of our recent successes, including the following: 

–$3.2 million recovery after a favorable Hennepin County jury award in a medical malpractice case against a Twin Cities Orthopedics surgeon. 

–$2.4 million arbitration award in a medical malpractice case against a major Minnesota hospital chain. 

-$1.5 million settlement for an elderly woman who suffered a concussion injury (mild Traumatic Brain Injury). 

-$1+ million recovery for the victim of a concussion injury. 

-$3 million recovery for a teenager who was killed in a car-truck collision. 

The Hennepin County Personal Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Firm serve all of the cities of Hennepin County, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka, Apple Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Buffalo, Burnsville, Carver, Champlin, Chanhassen, Chaska, Corcoran, Cottage Crystal, Grove, Dayton, Deephaven, Delano, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Elk River, Excelsior, Golden Valley, Greenwood, Hopkins, Independence, Lakeville, Long Lake, Loretto, Mankato, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Maplewood, Medicine Lake, Medina, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Monticello, Mound, New Hope, New Ulm, Oakdale, Orono, Osseo, Ostego, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Rockford, Rogers, Roseville, Sartell, Savage, Sauk Rapids, Saint Bonifacius, Shakopee, Shorewood, South St. Paul, Spring Park, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, St. Michael, St. Peter, Stillwater, Tonka Bay, Waconia, Waite Park, Wayzata, Woodbury, Woodland and surrounding areas.

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Car Accident Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.

HENNEPIN COUNTY INJURY LAWYERS 

The Schmidt Salita Law Team provides personal injury, workers compensation and wrongful death legal services to Hennepin County, Minnesota, as well as the entire greater Twin Cities metropolitan area.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team is a group of experienced personal injury lawyers and legal assistants who collectively have over 70 years of experience in providing the highest quality legal services to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and surrounding areas. The team has been awarded the highest possible ranking, a 5/5-star ranking, by votes of its past clients who have personally witnessed the quality of the legal services provided.

The Schmidt Salita Law Team includes Douglas Schmidt who is an award-winning injury lawyer with the highest possible rating (AV) by Martindale Hubbell, the most reliable rating system for legal ability and professionalism. Mr. Schmidt has over 40 years of experience achieving successful results on behalf of his clients, including the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, and all other types of motor vehicle accident cases in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He is a well-recognized products liability lawyer, with major victories over large corporations such as Ford Motor Company, Dow Chemical, John Deere, State Farm and many others. Mr. Schmidt has received the Award of Merit from the American Bar Association and the Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association.

The Team’s second namesake attorney, Dean Salita, is also a highly respected and well-experienced trial lawyer with success in countless cases, including car accident cases and hundreds of worker compensation cases resulting from workplace injury. Mr. Salita is also AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Workers Compensation Committee for the Minnesota Association of Justice. He has an excellent track record of bringing great settlements to his clients’ cases. Those around him say Mr. Salita’s best quality is the care and concern he demonstrates towards his clients.

Both Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Salita originally practiced in downtown Minneapolis law firms. Mr. Schmidt was one of the original partners in a large downtown firm with over 20 personal injury lawyers. Both him and Mr. Salita have moved their practices to Minnetonka – to a location that is easily accessible for their clients. Their main office is located one the 3rd floor of the Ridgedale Office Center, which sports a large lot for free parking, walk-in offices, handicap accessibility throughout the building and close proximity to the major freeways and commercial hubs surrounding Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The offices are easily accessible to folks from Maple Grove, Hopkins, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Golden Valley, Maple Plain, Wayzata, Orono, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Osseo, Bloomington, Edina, Shorewood and other Hennepin County municipalities. 

The offices are just 16 miles from Shakopee and serve clients from Scott County including Savage, Jordan, Prior Lake and Shakopee. The firm also serves clients from Wright, Anoka, Dakota, Washington, Ramsey and Meeker Counties.

“PERSONAL INJURY LEGAL SERVICES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH!”

A Schmidt Salita Hennepin County Lawyer will come to your home, or the hospital, for your initial visit.  The Schmidt Salita Law Team strives to provide personal injury legal services with a personal touch to help the victims of personal injury through a very difficult time in their lives.