Practice areas: Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Personal Injury; view more
Licensed in Minnesota since: 1989
Education: The University of North Dakota School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 1999 - 2006, 2010 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 1998 Call today:
888-388-7261
Robins Kaplan LLP
800 LaSalle AvenueSuite 2800
Minneapolis, MN 55402 Visit website
Peter Schmit is a partner at Robins Kaplan LLP and chairs the firm's national personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil rights group. Certified as a specialist in civil trial law by the Minnesota State Bar Association, Peter specializes in personal injury and wrongful death litigation, focusing on clients across Minnesota and the broader Midwest who have suffered harm due to negligence. Although his practice covers a broad range of cases, Peter primarily concentrates on medical malpractice, particularly with cases involving misdiagnoses, hospital negligence, and medication or surgical errors.
Peter has secured notable case results, including a $3.1 million settlement for a man who suffered a brain injury from an anesthesia error, a significant settlement in a wrongful death case related to the overprescription of pain medication, and a $2 million wrongful death settlement stemming from a delayed cancer diagnosis. These successes, among others, have earned Peter widespread recognition in the legal community, as reflected by his AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell and his selection for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.
Peter actively engages in various legal organizations, including serving as past president of the Minnesota Association for Justice. He is also a member of the Hennepin County Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the American Association for Justice. Peter earned his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1989, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He is licensed to practice in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as before several federal courts.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Wrongful Death
- 60% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
- 20% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
- 20% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1989, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: https://www.robinskaplan.com/professionals/s/peter-schmit
Bar / Professional Activity
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, North Dakota
- U.S. District Court, Wisconsin
- American Association for Justice (FKA the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
- American Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- America's Top 100 Attorneys, Minnesota
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- International Society of Barristers
- Minnesota Association for Justice (FKA Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association), Past President
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Pound Civil Justice Institute
- Ramsey County Bar Association
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $3,100,000 Settlement – 61-year-old man admitted to the hospital for a hip revision; failure to monitor during anesthesia induction led to brain injury, 2014
- $1,750,000 Settlement – Family of 50-year-old woman killed in vehicle vs. motorcycle crash in Northern Minnesota, 2018
- $2,375,000 Settlement – 22-year-old male suffers additional brain injury from inappropriate medical care, 2008
- $1,925,000 Settlement – 53-year-old construction supervisor had laparoscopic cholecystectomy; bile leak led to ARDS, peritonitis, and multi-organ failure, 2010
- $1,775,000 Settlement – 42-year-old man with spinal bifida and artificial urinary sphincter suffers brain injury following surgery, 2013
- $1,400,000 Recovery – Wrongful death of Wisconsin dairy farmer due to failure to diagnose colon cancer, 2007
- $1,314,000 Settlement – Failure to diagnose coronary artery disease in a 49-year-old brick layer resulting in a heart attack, 2001
- $1,300,000 Settlement – 50-year-old farmer dies during cardiac surgery, 2004
- $1,300,000 Settlement – Result obtained against a hospital for failure to diagnose massive internal bleeding following routine back surgery, 2016
- $1,250,000 Settlement – Involving post-operative care for a man with severe back disease. Failure to recognize post-operative neurological deterioration resulting in additional neurological injury, 2019
- $1,150,000 Settlement – Morphine toxicity not timely recognized leads to respiratory arrest and resultant brain injury in a 70-year-old woman, 2006
- $1,100,000 Settlement – 57-year-old woman dies from lacerated artery during lumbar microdiscectomy surgery, 2015
- $1,050,000 Settlement – Spinal cord injury due to surgical instrument, resulting in sensation and motor deficits in a 52-year-old chemical engineer in Fargo, ND, 2007
- $975,000 Settlement – 68-year-old woman develops surgically created bowel obstruction due to surgical error, 2011
- $925,000 Settlement – 49-year-old woman suffers nerve injury from back surgery, 2004
- $925,000 Settlement – 18-year-old athlete suffered a severe fracture playing football, develops compartment syndrome, and undergoes below-the-knee amputation, 2012
- $850,000 Settlement – 55-year-old man dies of cardiac arrest after inadequate follow-up on concerning EKG results, 2017
- $850,000 Settlement – Wrongful death case of 42-year-old wife over-prescribed pain medications and not properly monitored, 2015
- $850,000 Settlement – Central Minnesota wrongful death case involving a 55-year-old man who died after being seen at an ER for chest pain, 2015
- $800,000 Settlement – 60-year-old man dies of sepsis following urological surgery, 2001
- $750,000 Settlement – Wrongful death case of a 55-year-old man who died of a cardiac arrest several months after being seen for a history of chest pain, 2017
- $700,000 Settlement – 63-year-old man dies of cardiac arrest following inadequate assessment, 2017
- $630,000 Settlement – Negligent failure to protect an uninjured leg following traumatic injury led to compartment syndrome in a 33-year-old mother, 2013
- $558,000 Total Recovery – 72-year-old man suffers cauda equina injury following back surgery, results in bladder and balance issues, 2009
- $450,000 Settlement – North Dakota survival action involving negligent neurosurgery on a disabled 42-year-old man, 2015
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist
Pro bono / Community Service
- Campaign for Legal Aid
- Urban Leadership Committee
- Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS)
Honors
- Minnesota Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2024
- Top Lawyers List, Minnesota Monthly, 2024
- The Best Lawyers in America, The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
- POWER 30: Personal Injury, Minnesota Lawyer, 2023
- Attorney of the Year, Minnesota Lawyer, 2022
- Health Care Law Trailblazer, The National Law Journal, 2019
Educational Background
- University of North Dakota, B.S., Criminal Justice, magna cum laude
- University of North Dakota School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Opening and Closing Remarks, Trial Advocacy Seminar: The Rule of Law, Robins Kaplan LLP, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Mass Torts, Civil Rights, 2024
- Opening and Closing Remarks, Trial Advocacy Seminar: Know Your Story. Tell Your Story, Robins Kaplan LLP, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Mass Torts, Civil Rights, 2023
- Speaker, The Changing Landscape of Provider Malpractice in Minnesota, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022
- Co-Chair, Medical Malpractice Conference, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, and Minnesota Association for Justice, 2022
Office location for Peter Schmit
800 LaSalle Avenue
Suite 2800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: 888-388-7261
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 1999 - 2006, 2010 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 1998
Certificates and credentials
Civil Trial
