PAMELA J. SPAULDING

Pamela J. Spaulding graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota Law School where she was a Managing Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. She started with Meshbesher & Spence in 1999 and now practices exclusively representing injured persons, and families in wrongful death cases.

Ms. Spaulding distinguished herself early in her career as co-counsel with John Sheehy, Ronald Meshbesher and Michael Snyder in obtaining four of the largest verdicts in Minnesota history.

These verdicts included Roberts v. Geo. M. Martin Company, a products liability case where a factory worker was crushed and brain injured by a box stacking machine that the trial team proved to be unreasonably dangerous. The jury awarded $35.3 million, which is the largest verdict for personal injury in the history of Minnesota.

In Olson v. Christian Builders, a wrongful death case, the trial team showed that a 22-year-old man was needlessly and negligently killed when he was hit by debris, while riding his motorcycle, which flew out of an uncovered, commercial trailer. The jury awarded over $3 million, which is one of the largest wrongful death verdicts in Minnesota history.

In Foust v. USF Holland, again with the trial team of John Sheehy, Ronald Meshbesher and Michael Snyder, Ms. Spaulding helped prove that a talented engineer was badly injured and brain-damaged as a result of the conduct of a semi truck driver. The driver negligently and dangerously drove through an intersection at highway speeds when the traffic light was knocked out by a storm and all the passenger cars were treating the intersection as a four-way stop. The verdict against USF Holland ($9 million) is the largest verdict in Minnesota history involving a vehicle collision or against a negligent, commercial trucking company.

In July 2004, Ms. Spaulding, with the trial team of John Sheehy and Michael Snyder, proved a Minnesota hospital and doctor were negligent in their treatment of three-year-old Matthew Kuttner. Matthew went to Hutchinson Area Health Care to have his tonsils removed in January 2001. The doctor performed an adenotonsillectomy. Instead of removing all the tissue that was cut, two large chunks of tissue were not removed from Matthew. This tissue partially blocked Matthew's airway. Then, in violation of the most basic rules of anesthesia, the nurse anesthetist pulled out the tube that was delivering 100% oxygen to Matthew. The lack of oxygen caused Matthew to have a cardiac arrest and he died. A McLeod County jury awarded $1.8 million for the wrongful death of Matthew. The verdict in Kuttner v. Hutchinson Area Health Care & Montgomery is believed to be the largest personal injury verdict in McLeod County.

Most recently, in April 2006, Ms. Spaulding, along with John Sheehy and Michael Snyder, settled a case involving a motor vehicle accident and resulting traumatic brain injury for $7.1 million on the eve of trial. The plaintiff was struck by a drunk driver who crossed the centerline on County Road 58 in Cass County in November 2002. The plaintiff was 18-years-old and suffered bilateral femur fractures, a fractured tibia/fibula, hip fractures and a skull fracture. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury. The defendants maintained that the plaintiff’s pre-existing ADHD and depression were the source of his deficits in attention, motivation, depression and behavioral problems. The neuropsychometric testing performed by plaintiff’s neurologist could not definitively attribute testing deficits to the brain injury because of a lack of prior testing and the pre-existing ADHD, depression and behavioral problems. However, because of the severity of the brain injury at the outset, the radiological findings, the Glasgow coma score, the length of coma, post-traumatic amnesia and observational evidence of the plaintiff’s medical providers and his family, plaintiff’s neurologist’s clinical diagnosis was that the plaintiff suffered deficits due to the brain injury and any pre-existing problems were aggravated. The plaintiff’s psychiatrist concluded the plaintiff suffered axonal shearing injuries and would need a long-term, structured environment. The defendants’ neuropsychologist maintained that most of the plaintiff’s deficits were pre-existing and only slightly aggravated. The defendants’ social worker and their rehabilitation expert maintained the plaintiff could live on his own and work. The plaintiff’s experts believed he needed a long-term structured environment. The life-care planner maintained this could best be accomplished by a 24-hour attendant care to assure the plaintiff complied with medications, stayed out of danger, took care of hygiene, got out of bed and participated in meaningful activities.

Ms. Spaulding's in-court experience in significant cases is unmatched by any of her peers. She is familiar not only with the many legal issues that are involved in these cases, but also the medical aspects of brain injuries, amputations, and other serious injuries-and importantly, she understands the devastation needless injuries and death cause to people and their families.

Ms. Spaulding is not, however, just about big cases. She has experience in a wide range of cases including products liability, medical malpractice, automobile and truck collisions, and insurance matters such as no-fault and underinsured motorist coverage. She helps many people with non-disabling injuries that adversely affect their quality of life.

In 2004, Ms. Spaulding was recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as one of fifteen "Up-and-Coming Attorneys." This honor is presented to newer attorneys who have distinguished themselves as "up and comers" by their professional accomplishments, leadership, service to the legal profession and/or service to the community. The honorees were selected from nominations submitted by bar groups, judges, lawyers and other members of the legal community. In its May 17, 2004 issue, Minnesota Lawyer printed the following: "Pamela J. Spaulding has had some pretty incredible experiences for a person who is only three years out of law school. She has been on trial teams that have successfully handled three multi-million dollar personal injury cases and recently argued an appeal before the Minnesota Supreme Court in another case. It has been quite a ride for the 29-year-old attorney who was the first person in her family to get a four-year college degree. Spaulding says she owes a lot of credit for her early success to her firm, Meshbesher & Spence, which has provided her with excellent mentors and demonstrated the confidence in her that has allowed her to have these experiences so soon in her legal career."

Ms. Spaulding is known at Meshbesher & Spence for her hard work, dedication, and compassion for her clients. She is a Minnesotan, descended from Stearns County farming families, and is proud to devote her law career to helping people and families fight for their rights in their time of need.

Education:
J.D., University of Minnesota Law School, Cum Laude, 2001;
B.S., Mankato State University, Minnesota, Summa Cum Laude, 1997.

Admitted:
Minnesota, 2001; U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2004.

Employment History:
Meshbesher & Spence, Ltd.
1999-2001, Law Clerk, Business & Commercial Litigation.
2001-present, Lawyer, Personal Injury
2006-present, Lawyer and Partner, Personal Injury

Professional Associations: