ClickCease Douglas S. Saeltzer
Meet Douglas

Douglas S. Saeltzer

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Mr. Saeltzer specializes in representing seriously injured people through trial or settlement. He prides himself on holding powerful entities responsible for the wrongs they committed.

Mr. Saeltzer’s meticulous approach to the preparation and trial of cases has resulted in over $100,000,000 in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients

Mr. Saeltzer began his legal career as a prosecutor in the United States Army. After attending the U.S. Army Airborne School, he was selected for the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned responsibility for prosecuting criminal cases. Mr. Saeltzer was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain, and his military achievements include receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for his work as a prosecuting attorney.

Client Testimonials


"I'd recommend the Walkup Firm to anyone dealing with a personal injury."

Doug Saeltzer & Kelly Ganci are professional experts that assisted me through the hardest moments of my life. I'd recommend the Walkup Firm to anyone dealing with a personal injury. CHAMPIONS!

Barry H.

Mr. Saeltzer and his team assisted and guided me through the whole process with care and professionalism.

I was fortunate enough to be recommended to WMKS by a friend and a former very satisfied client of the firm. I knew I had made the right decision. Mr. Saeltzer and his team assisted and guided me through the whole process with care and professionalism. I felt safe, secured, protected to have had someone fighting for me to get the most compensation for what I have been through.

Client

Mr. Saeltzer is an outstanding personal injury lawyer.

Mr. Saeltzer is an outstanding personal injury lawyer. He represented my teen-aged daughter who had sustained a severe burn. He was very empathetic to her situation, spent a lot of time with us explaining procedures and strategy and was completely accessible when we needed to ask him any questions. He did not give us any false hope about the outcome. He prepared us very well for the depositions and the settlement meeting. I was extremely impressed with his knowledge of the law, his ability to accurately interpret the intent of the law and his strategy when dealing with the lawyers from the insurance company.

Client

Doug and Christian were meticulous, responsive, and true advocates.

When our son suffered an injury as an infant at the hands of his medical providers, we were so devastated. Doug’s experience and Christian’s medical background (he is also a board certified doctor!) put us at an advantage. Doug and Christian were meticulous, responsive, and true advocates. We had favorable results and we could not have been more satisfied with their representation!

Client

After leaving the Army, Mr. Saeltzer returned to San Francisco and brought his extensive trial experience to Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, where he has been representing seriously injured clients since 1998.

Mr. Saeltzer has seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements spanning more than two decades. His first seven-figure verdict was in 2001. In 2011 he was honored as the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association for an eight-figure jury verdict obtained on behalf of a teenage girl left in a coma following a tragic accident. In that case, the seven-figure pretrial settlement offer was less than one-tenth of the eventual jury award. Mr. Saeltzer has also successfully created a law that protects injured people through the carelessness of others. Following a successful jury trial, Mr. Saeltzer fought to protect his client’s recovery at the California Court of Appeal. He changed the law so that all injured workers are now assured full recovery for their lost wages.

Since 2010, Mr. Saeltzer has been consistently recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer. Additionally, he holds an “AV” peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest ranking available for an individual attorney in terms of legal ability and ethics. Moreover, his peers have voted him as one of The Best Lawyers in America since 2011. Additionally, he was selected by his peers to be a member of the esteemed International Society of Barristers. Additionally, in 2010, Mr. Saeltzer was elected to the invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). The group comprises more than 7,300 lawyers and judges, evenly divided between plaintiff and defense, spread across 96 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Saeltzer’s experience and legal abilities are also sought as an instructor outside the courtroom. He is currently an assistant professor on the University of California Law San Francisco faculty, where he has taught civil litigation since 2003. He also serves on the National Institute of Trial Advocacy faculty, training new lawyers in courtroom skills and advocacy. Mr. Saeltzer has been an invited lecturer for the Continuing Education of the State Bar of California, San Francisco Bar Association, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and the USLAW Network’s annual client conference. He has also served as an expert witness on case valuation and served as a court-appointed mediator.

Mr. Saeltzer currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and will assume the role of President in 2026. He holds memberships in several associations, including the American Association for Justice San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and sits on the CAOC PAC Board as a Vice President.

Outside the courtroom, Mr. Saeltzer enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

Verdicts & Settlements

  • Widow and Children v. Landowner – Negligence, Wrongful Death, $20,000,000 Settlement
  • Lindquist v. Toohey et al. – Vehicular Negligence, Dangerous Condition of Property, $16,347,362 Jury Verdict
  • Liou v. State of California – Dangerous Condition of Public Property, $12,200,000 Jury Verdict
  • Van Fleet v. City of Oakland – Vehicular Negligence, $12,000,000 Settlement
  • City v. Pedestrian – Dangerous Condition of Public Property, $11,000,000 Settlement
  • Husband and Child v. Construction Companies and Utility Company – Worksite Negligence, $9,300,000 Settlement
  • Anderson v. County of Stanislaus – Government Liability – Motor Vehicle, $8,250,000 Settlement
  • Confidential v. Confidential – Negligence, $6,500,000 Settlement
  • Worker v. Property Management Company – Construction Site Negligence, $6,000,000 Settlement
  • Child v HMO – Birth Injury/Medical Negligence, $4,750,000 Settlement
  • Bicyclist v. Product Manufacturer and Negligent Driver – Product Liability and Vehicular Negligence, $4,331,250 Settlement
  • Renteria v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority – Bus Negligence, $4,000,000 Jury Verdict
  • Patient v. HMO – Medical Negligence, $4,000,000 Settlement
  • LaRocca v. Diablo Contractors, Inc., et. al. – Construction Negligence/Vehicular Negligence, $3,050,000 Settlement
  • Boilermaker v Refinery Owner – Industrial Negligence, $2,800,000 Settlement
  • Brock v. Bonifacio, et. al. – Vehicular Negligence/Products Liability, $2,800,000 Jury Verdict
  • Motorcyclist v. Automobile – Motor Vehicle Accident, $2,100,000 Settlement
  • Confidential v. Confidential – Products Liability, $2,000,000 Settlement
  • Minor Child v Hair Salon – Negligence, $2,000,000 Settlement
  • Decedent’s Family v. Delivery Company, Roadway, and Estate of Negligent Driver – Wrongful death, Trucking negligence, $1,900,000 Settlement
  • Pedestrian v. Driver and Owner of Vehicle – Vehicular Negligence/Negligent Entrustment, $1,500,000 Settlement
  • Marquez v. Transportes Azteca De Oro – Bus Accident/Wrongful Death, $1,100,000 Settlement
  • Patient v. HMO – Medical Negligence, $1,100,000 Settlement
  • Driver v. Truck Company and Vehicle Manufacturer – Vehicular Negligence/Products Liability, $1,030,000 Settlement
  • Patient v. Doctor and Hospital – Medical Negligence, $1,000,000 Settlement
  • Student v. School District – Government Liability, $1,000,000 Settlement
  • O’Brien v Wheatley – Auto Accident, $431,569 Jury Verdict
  • Ludwig v. Yellow Cab – Vehicle Negligence, $416,894 Jury Verdict
  • Bradley v. Les Driving & Traffic School – Vehicular Negligence, $355,000 Jury Verdict
  • Smock v. State of California (Caltrans) and Driver – Dangerous Condition of Public Property; Vehicular Negligence, $288,000 Jury Verdict

Community Involvement

From the founding of our firm in the 1960s up through the present, Walkup team members have consistently contributed to the welfare and improvement of the people and communities of the Bay Area and Northern California.

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Areas of Practice

    • Products Liability
    • Injury and Death Cases
    • Elder Abuse
    • Medical Negligence
    • Vehicular Negligence
    • Construction Site Injuries
    • Government Liability

Education

    • University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California
      • Law Journal: Constitutional Law Quarterly
    • University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
    • Classes/Seminars
      • Assistant Professor, Personal Injury Litigation, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
      • Faculty, National Institute of Trial Advocacy

Court of Appeal Decisions

  • Smock v State of California (2006) 138 Cal.App.4th 883

Honors and Awards

    • Meritorious Service Medal, United States Army

Past Employment Positions

    • United States Army, JAGC, 82nd Airborne Division, Prosecutor

Professional Associations and Memberships<

    • American Association for Justice, Member
    • Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
    • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member