Accomplishments of Our Missouri Injury Law Firm

St. Louis injury lawyer Stephen Schultz is proud of what he has achieved in a comprehensive range of practice areas, including auto and tractor-trailer collisions, premise liability, and personal injury cases. Mr. Schultz has collected millions of dollars in compensation for his injured clients and families who have lost loved ones. Our record of accepting referrals from other attorneys across Missouri and the United States has brought recognition to our firm's ability in handling complex and catastrophic injury cases. Below is just a sampling of our results. We have collected over $35 Million dollars in settlements and verdicts.

Catastrophic Car Accident Claim

Case Disposition: $17,000,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence per se
Facts: Plaintiff was a young girl seated as a passenger in a car driving on I-70. The driver suddenly lost control of the car. The car lost control and spun off of the freeway, causing a severe brain injury to the victim.
Comment: This was a very tragic case that resulted in our client requiring a lifetime of future medical care needs, all backed by a certified life-care planner. Life-care planners are necessary in significant injury cases where the judge and jury needs to understand the high costs associated with extensive future medical care.

Missouri Tractor-Trailer Crash

Case Disposition: $5,500,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence per se, Negligence, Respondeat Superior
Facts: Client was driving a motorcycle on a rural highway in central Missouri when a tractor-trailer rear-ended the motorcycle and caused serious injury. It was heavily disputed whether or not the motorcycle driver had a mechanical problem and whether the truck driver was even working at the time of the crash, which was on a Sunday.
Comment: Accidents involving a tractor-trailer are very serious and require legal representation of lawyers who have a wide knowledge of both federal and state law. These types of crashes are notoriously complicated and time consuming. The documents relevant in a tractor-trailer crash can reach thousands of pages. Only a skilled truck crash lawyer with a detailed understanding of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations can achieve maximum compensation for the client.

Missouri Tractor-Trailer Crash

Case Disposition: $2,750,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence Per Se, Negligent Supervision/Training/Retention
Facts: Our client was riding in a passenger car when it was broadsided by a 60,000+ tractor-trailer, resulting in significant personal injuries. This case was heavily contested and the trucking company and defense attorneys did their best to transfer venue out of the City of St. Louis, albeit unsuccessfully.
Comment: Tractor-trailer accident claims require special legal representation from lawyers who are well versed i the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Missouri state law. These cases are extremely time consuming and expensive to litigate, for all parties involved in the case. Our client obtained a fair result because we prepared this case as if it were going to go to trial. This level of dedication to each truck accident injury case is why we obtain justice for our clients, who have already lost so much.

Missouri Dram Shop Claim

Case Disposition: $2,320,000
Cause(s) of Action: Premises Liability, Negligence,
Facts: Represented surviving parents who tragically lost their children in a serious motor vehicle crash. It was later discovered that the driver of the other car had been drinking alcohol at a local bar. It was further discovered through litigation that the staff at the bar failed to exercise responsible beverage service in violation of Missouri dram shop laws.
Comment: Bars are clearly in business to serve alcohol to patrons. The problem arises when employees fail to observe the training provided by TIPs and other organizations who offer guidance on when to halt beverage service to a "visibly intoxicated" individual. The laws in Missouri make it difficult for a plaintiff to prove that a customer was visibly intoxicated, however, circumstantial evidence and expert testimony can offer guidance in determining fault.

Missouri Bus Crash

Case Disposition: $2,000,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligent Hiring/Retention/Training/Supervision, Respondeat Superior
Facts: Our client was on his way to dinner when he was rear-ended by a bus. This Missouri bus crash caused extensive damage to our client's vehicle and he sustained injuries as a result.
Comment: This was another large case where the insurance company that represented the bus company was up to its usual tricks, video-tapping our client doing everyday activities like going to the grocery store and his many doctor's appointments. They claimed our client was not badly hurt because he was still able to make trips from his home to local grocers, doctors, and the DMV. This argument backfired on the insurance company and they ended up settling the case for the amount we demanded.

Missouri Tractor-Trailer Crash

Case Disposition: $795,000 ($295,000 pre-trial settlement, $500,000 verdict)
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence per se, Negligence, Respondeat Superior, Uninsured Motorist (UM)
Facts: Client was a truck driver. He driving a truck for his employer on the highway when another tractor-trailer swerved into his lane without warning, causing an impact. The other driver fled the scene and was later identified in Canada. Following three years of heated litigation, one defendant settled two days prior to trial. The other defendant (a large insurance company) continued to deny liability. We obtained a $500,000 verdict against them at trial.
Comment: Litigation involving trucking companies and large insurance companies is a protracted, expensive process, but this is a fight we take on for the greater good of the public. We feel that our legal fight against unsafe truckers and the insurance companies that choose to insure them is slowly making a difference. These companies need to be reminded that public safety is paramount to profits. Obtaining substantial settlements and judgments against them sends a definitive message and hopefully will save future lives.

Drunk Driver Car Accident

Case Disposition: $546,948.26
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence
Facts: Young woman was hit by a drunk driver. She was just 21 years old at the time of the crash. The defendant was on his way home from a party when he broadsided our client's vehicle.
Comment: Our DUI lawyers investigate each drunk driving accident thoroughly to determine if there is potential co-liability for a bar for over-serving alcohol to the defendant. This is known as "dram shop law," and Missouri has established a cause of action based upon this common law doctrine. In this particular case, there was no viable dram shop claim because the defendant was at a private residence consuming alcohol, not a business. A dram shop defendant must have a license to sell intoxicating liquor in order to be held liable to a plaintiff.

Minor Impact Soft Tissue Car Accident

Case Disposition: $355,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence per se, Negligence
Facts: Client was on her way home from the grocery store when she was rear-ended at a stop light. The damage to the two vehicles involved was minimal. In fact, there was less than $800 in property damage to our client's SUV. Unfortunately, the minor impact still resulted in a significant soft-tissue injury to her neck, resulting in pain management and physical therapy.
Comment: Liability car insurance companies love to fight minor impact soft tissue (MIST) claims agressively. These types of cases are rarely settled unless your lawyer can prove that there is no real relationship between the minor property damage and the extent of the injury caused to the victim. We typically use physicians and forensic epidemiologists as experts to debunk the junk science defenses that insurance companies and insurance defense attorneys rely on in an effort to cheat injury victims out of fair compensation.

Head-on Car Accident

Case Disposition: $310,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence
Facts: Young man was seriously injured a car accident when another driver crossed the center line of traffic and struck his car nearly head-on.
Comment: Crossing the center line of traffic is a very common cause of serious car accidents in the state of Missouri and this case is reality of what happens each day due to driver inattention. Don't text message or email when you are driving because an accident will eventually happen.

Car Accident Injury Claim (Third-Party Case)

Case Disposition: $250,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence per se, Negligence
Facts: Client was on duty when she was struck by another motorist who was not paying attention to the road. The collision resulted in severe whiplash, which became so disabling that the client had to undergo a surgery to her repair the cervical discs in her spine. The surgery helped significantly, but she will never be the same.
Comment: Typically when someone is "on-duty" at work and is injured, the only compensation available is through a workers' compensation claim. Sometimes our lawyers are able to also recover compensation on a "third-party claim" against the person or company that caused the injury. The sooner our attorneys are involved in the case, the better the chances are at obtaining the evidence necessary to win a third-party case such as this.

Missouri Premises Liability Claim

Case Disposition: $225,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence per se, Negligence, Respondeat Superior
Facts: Client was a restaurant employee. Upon entering the restaurant's walk-in cooler, she was injured by a full keg of beer that was negligently stacked by a beer distribution company. Client recovered under her employer's workers' compensation coverage, but also had a viable cause of action against the distributor itself.
Comment: Most of the time if an employee is injured while acting in the course and scope of his/her employment, the sole remedy is workers' compensation. However, on occasion that worker will have a third-party negligence action against a wrongdoer other than the employer. In this case, the distributor was partially to blame for the injuries sustained. Therefore our client was entitled to recovery under workers' compensation laws AND negligence attributable to the distributor.

Uninsured Motorist Claim

Case Disposition: $200,000
Cause(s) of Action: Uninsured Motorist Claim
Facts: Young woman was injured when another vehicle struck the back of her car. The other driver did not have the minimum insurance required by Missouri law.
Comment: In this case, our client's own car insurance company was the defendant in the case. Her insurance carrier was unreasonable and declined to pay what was fair in the case. Our lawyers got involved and were able to secure the maximum amount of compensation possible in her case. The difference between the original offer and the compensation we ultimately obtained for our client was well over $100,000.

Slip & Fall Claim

Case Disposition: $190,000
Cause(s) of Action: Premises Liability, Negligence, Respondeat Superior
Facts: Client was a restaurant employee. Upon entering the restaurant's walk-in cooler, she was injured by a full keg of beer that was negligently stacked by a beer distribution company. Client recovered under her employer's workers' compensation coverage, but also had a viable cause of action against the distributor itself.
Comment: Most of the time if an employee is injured while acting in the course and scope of his/her employment, the sole remedy is workers' compensation. However, on occasion that worker will have a third-party negligence action against a wrongdoer other than the employer. In this case, the distributor was partially to blame for the injuries sustained. Therefore our client was entitled to recovery under workers' compensation laws AND negligence attributable to the distributor.

Infant Wrongful Death Claim

Case Disposition: Policy Limits
Cause(s) of Action: Wrongful Death, Negligence, Assault, Battery
Facts: 18-month old boy dropped off at a home daycare operated by defendant. Later on that day, the young boy was taken by ambulance to the hospital and was treated for almost three full days before he passed away. The coroner and physicians determined that his death was attributable to Shaken Baby Syndrome (SKS), brought about by the defendants.
Comment: The facts of this case are tragic in so many respects and received both local and national media coverage. Archived media coverage is available at KMOV or with the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Criminal charges were also filed against the defendant in this case.

Minor Impact Car Accident Claim

Case Disposition: Policy Limits
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence per se
Facts: Client was injured when her vehicle was crashed into from behind. Although there was never a police report made because damage to the vehicles was minimal, our firm was able to argue liability and settle this matter prior to filing a lawsuit for the full policy limits of insurance available to the defendant.
Comment: It is always good measure to call police and demand that a crash report be made on the scene. Evidence will be obtained by the reporting police officer, which will include any witness statements, insurance information, conditions at the scene, and even the police officer's opinion on what circumstances contributed to cause the crash itself. Sometimes people have a tendency not to report accidents to police when damage to the cars is minimal. This is a mistake! Getting the police involved in each and every collision is the best way to protect yourself from fraud or an obtuse insurance company later on down the line.

Minor Impact Car Accident Claim

Case Disposition: Policy Limits
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence Per Se
Facts: Client was injured in a car accident. This particular client had extensive pre-existing treatment to his neck and back, body parts that were also injured in this crash. Doctors could only offer testimony that his injuries were exacerbated by the current crash, not caused by it.
Comment: This case posed several challenges. First, there was only minor damage caused to the vehicles involved in the crash, something insurance companies hand there hat on in most injury claims. Second, this client had a long history of treatment to his neck and back prior to the crash, resulting in a diluted claim value for pre-existing medical conditions. However, our personal injury lawyers were relentless and pushed forward until we were able to obtain the full $100,000 in policy limits available to this incident.

Car Accident Claim

Case Disposition: $121,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence per se
Facts: A young woman was injured when the vehicle she was riding in lost control and flipped over. It was suspected that the driver may have consumed alcohol earlier in the evening. Furthermore, the defendant was a relatively new driver and failed to properly obey the Missouri statutory "rules of the road".
Comment: Many of our clients involved in car crashes are struck either from behind or head-on by a car crossing the center line of the road. It is important to always practice defensive driving techniques and anticipate that other drivers can and will cross over into your lane of traffic for reasons as common as using a cell phone or lighting a cigarette. Being inattentive is a common reason for the cause of vehicular collisions in Missouri, so PAY ATTENTION to the road and anticipate that other drivers don't.

Slip & Fall Claim

Case Disposition: $Confidential (in excess of $100,000)
Cause(s) of Action: Premises Liability, Negligence
Facts: Plaintiff slipped on barbeque sauce inside of a popular restaurant. Plaintiff alleged that the barbeque sauce was concealed by the dark redish color of the tile floor, making it impossible for her to notice in time to avoid the fall.
Comment: Business owners have a duty of care to make certain that the premises is free from hazards, otherwise known as dangerous conditions, that the owner knew, or should have known, existed. Restaurants commonly struggle with this, as liquids are regularly spilled on the floor in customer walking areas. Nonetheless, restaurant owners must take time to sweep the common areas for liquids and other hazards and to warn or remedy the condition. Visit our slip and fall victim help center for more information on this area of personal injury law.

Injury at Fitness Facility

Case Disposition: Lawsuit filed, confidential pre-trial settlement achieved
Cause(s) of Action: Premises Liability, Negligence, Negligent Supervision/Training/Retention
Facts: Plaintiff was seriously injured when performing a body movement under the direct supervision and care of a personal trainer. It is believed that the personal trainer was not properly qualified to train plaintiff and was requesting that plaintiff perform a body movement that was extremely advanced given her status as a beginner. Plaintiff was required to undergo knee surgery to repair the damage sustained in the injury.
Comment: Everyone knows that fitness activity carries a certain degree of exposure to personal injury. In fact, most gyms require new members to sign a "waiver of negligence" that will preclude them from suing the gym if they are injured when using fitness equipment on the premises. In certain situations however, this type of liability waiver is not enforceable if the victim is injured under the direct care and supervision of a personal trainer.

School Bus Accident

Case Disposition: $140,000
Cause(s) of Action: Negligence, Negligence Per Se
Facts: Plaintiff was a student on a school bus when the driver drifted off the road, causing the bus to roll several times and eject students from their seats.
Comment: Drivers of school buses are required to exercise the highest degree of care when transporting students. Bus drivers are required to go through rigorous training in order to make certain they are adequately qualified. We trust our children to these drivers. When they are negligent or reckless, the results can be catastrophic.

Looking for additional documentation of the victories achieved by our St. Louis injury lawyers? Contact Missouri injury attorney Stephen Schultz by calling (314) 732-1401 and your request will be handled personally.