Matt joined Marshall Dennehey as a member of the Casualty Department defending claims involving product liability and product warranty and motor vehicle liability. He currently represents a major American automobile manufacturer in their product liability litigation.
Matt also frequently represents national and local retailers, recreational facilities, third-party management and security agencies against personal injury, assault, allegations of false arrest, malicious prosecution, negligent security and general negligence cases. His representation has included a national security agency for professional sporting venues.
Matt has experience with the successful use of multiple experts in defending cases. For example, in a recent motor vehicle matter, through the use of medical expert testimony in the areas of orthopedics and neurology, in combination with the testimony of a vocational expert, Matt was successful in bringing the settlement demand in that case down from $1.25 million to a final settlement before jury selection of $25,000.
Matt is a 1992 graduate of the University of Scranton. Upon graduation, he accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in Virginia, California, Japan and Pennsylvania as a logistics officer. In 1999 while on active duty, he entered Rutgers School of Law - Camden. Matt graduated from Rutgers a semester early in 2002 with a juris doctor. In July 2003, he was mobilized with the Marine Corps for Operation Iraqi Freedom 2-II for eight months of service at Al Asad airbase in Iraq with Marine Wing Support Group 37 as the group's Logistics/Legal Officer.
In June 2020, Matt retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 29 years of service in the United States Marine Corps and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
Results
Successful Trial Outcome: Defense Prevails in Premises Liability Case
We secured a defense verdict in Delaware County after a four-day jury trial in a premises liability case against a local school. The plaintiff, a student, suffered an Achilles heel injury when cut by a door edge and claimed diminished leg function and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Despite undergoing two surgeries, neither her surgeons nor treating physicians diagnosed CRPS. During trial, the defense highlighted that the student returned the following year as undefeated captain of the school’s tennis team, winning at the state level. The case involved aggressive cross-examination of medical and liability experts, along with surveillance evidence of the plaintiff. Before trial, the demand was $1 million, while the school offered $200,000 at mediation—an offer the plaintiff rejected, walking out and refusing further negotiations. After just 2.5 hours of deliberation, the jury ruled in the school’s favor.
Defense Prevails in Contract Dispute
Obtained a defense verdict for our client, a global automobile manufacturer, in a contract dispute in Bucks County, PA. In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the plaintiff purchased a new vehicle for $37,000. Seven months later, the car was involved in a crash caused by the plaintiff's daughter. Repairs for collision damage, which are not covered under the vehicle’s express written warranty, were delayed due to global supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Despite the automobile manufacturer’s efforts to locate, obtain, and expedite delivery of repair parts to the collision repair shop, it took seven months to fully complete the repairs. The plaintiff alleged that the manufacturer violated the implied warranty of merchantability under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and breached the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, citing the repair delays as the basis for the claims. Ultimately, the court returned a defense verdict, rejecting the plaintiff’s claims.
