TRAUMA AND DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE – MINNESOTA CAR ACCIDENT INJURY LAWYERS.
Many times, the insurance company adjusters and lawyers will minimize serious neck and back pain as the result of “degenerative disc disease” which, they claim, has nothing to do with the car accident. They are totally wrong.
Degenerative disc disease is a medical condition that is the natural result of the aging process in the human body, which involves the deterioration of the intervertebral discs that cushion the spine. It is commonly due to the wear and tear and the normal aging process. People whose life style involves activity that increases stress or strain on the spine typically experience more degeneration. Risk factors other than normal aging include excess weight, occupations involving frequent manual labor, sports-related injuries, and spinal trauma.
DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC UNTIL AN INJURY OCCURS.
Disc degeneration due to aging is typically a gradual process that develops over many years. For that reason, most patients remain asymptomatic (without symptoms of pain) until the condition advances to the point at which it causes a breakdown of the disc structure which, in turn, leads to irritation or compression of the spinal nerve roots. When the disc structure breaks down, symptoms of pain, tingling, numbness, and radiculopathy can occur. In general, the treatment options for degenerative disc disease depend upon the severity of the symptoms and include pain medications, physical therapy, localized corticosteroid injections, and, in cases refractory to conservative treatments, surgery to alleviate compression of the nerves.
The mere fact that Xrays, MRIs and CT scans show degenerative disc disease after an accident should not be a defense against an injury claim. Often, the trauma of the car accident, trucking accident, motorcycle accident or workplace injury will cause an degenerated disc that was asymptomatic before the trauma to become symptomatic.
This concept is important to personal injury victims. It is important to counter the argument from the insurance company doctors with effective medical evidence with a competent medical expert that can explain how the trauma of the collision has caused the injury, even though there was pre-existing degenerative disc disease. That opinion can be supported by peer-reviewed medical literature that strongly supports the connection between the trauma and the new post-accident symptoms.
EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS ARE IMPORTANT IN NECK AND BACK INJURY CASES.
The personal injury lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have experience in successfully presenting injury claims for the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, and workplace injury for their clients with prior degenerative disc disease who have suffered neck and back injuries.
MINNEAPOLIS INJURY LAWYER-Top Rated, Experienced, Successful.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team is a 5 star rated, AV rated personal injury and wrongful death law firm. The Team’s lawyers have 70 years of experience in over 10,000 successful cases throughout the State of Minnesota in both the Minnesota State Courts and the U.S. District Courts in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS INJURY LAWYER-Experienced, competent staff.
The lead lawyers are Douglas Schmidt and Dean Salita, supported by a large staff of associate lawyers and legal assistants. The staff also has over 70 additional years of experience in personal injury and wrongful death claims. The competency of the staff is very important. When an injured person hires a trial lawyer, they want a lawyer that is experienced and busy, often in court or hearings. That means that it is important that the staff be present to deal with the clients needs on a daily basis.
You Don’t Have to Go Downtown for a Great Lawyer.
Both Schmidt and Salita worked for many years in downtown law firms. They are acknowledged as among the best personal injury and wrongful death lawyers in the State of Minnesota. They have both left downtown Minneapolis in order to provide “downtown quality” legal services at locations more accessible to their injury clients. Many folks simply can’t negotiate the skyways and ramps of downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul. One of the mottos of the Schmidt Salita Law Team is “You Don’t Have To Go Downtown For a Great Injury Lawyer!”
Douglas Schmidt is a Highly Respected, Highly Rated Injury Lawyer With a Great Track Record of Success.
Schmidt is a highly respected attorney who has received many awards respecting the quality of his legal abilities and accomplishments. He has received the Award of Merit of the American Bar Association. He has twice received the Distinguished Service Award of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, now the Minnesota Association of Justice. He has been rated AV by Martindale Hubbell for 35 years. He has served as visiting lecturer at the University of Minnesota Law School, William Mitchell Law School, and Gustavus Adolphus College. He has served as President of the Million Dollar Roundtable, lawyers with $1 million jury verdicts in personal injury cases.
Schmidt is the founder of Lawyers Against Drunk Driving (LADD). He is the founder and host of the West Metro Continuing Legal Education Consortium.
Dean Salita is Also Highly Respected and Highly Rated As a Personal Injury and Workers Compensation Lawyer.
Dean Salita is also a highly respected personal injury and wrongful death lawyer. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer. He also is distinguished as one of the best workers compensation lawyers in the State of Minnesota. He currently serves as the Chair of the Workers Compensation Committee of the Minnesota Association of Justice. He has a great track record in bringing justice to the victims of personal injury and wrongful death with million dollar recoveries.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team Handles a Wide Variety of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian car accidents, and bicycle accidents. It has many years’ experience in workers , 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 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 WITH PERSONAL ATTENTION TO EACH CASE”.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team has locations throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Osseo, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Blaine, Shoreview, Woodbury, Falcon Heights, Columbia Park, Stillwater, Hastings, Inver Grove, Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Shakopee, Richfield, Bloomington, Chaska, Chanhassen, Edina, Eden Prairie, and Hopkins.