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A history of setting nationwide precedent
Matt Turner is a senior shareholder with Sommers Schwartz and focuses his law practice on medical malpractice, personal injury, and FLSA class action claims. I consider the most important part of my work to be the ability to fight for and protect the rights of my clients.
While attending law school, Matt served as a law clerk for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Richard Kuhn and when he graduated, he joined his family’s law firm, litigating a wide range of cases including slip and fall, dental malpractice, auto accident, business disputes, employment discrimination, and serious death and catastrophic loss lawsuits.
Matt has appeared before the United States Supreme Court, prevailing in a 9-0 judgment establishing a precedent that is followed across the nation. He has argued a number of appeals before the Michigan Supreme Court, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Michigan Court of Appeals.
At the trial level, Matt secured a verdict exceeding $1 million in a medical malpractice case and was lead counsel in an FLSA collective action against Sara Lee that resulted in a successful plaintiff’s verdict at trial. Matt has secured a number of other highly successful trial verdicts and settlements as well.
In his spare time, Matt serves as the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Birmingham Groves High School. He has been a varsity high school coach for more than 20 years and enjoys working with future outstanding players.
Accomplishments
VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS
- $7.5 million settlement on behalf of an infant who suffered extensive neurological damage following a metabolic stroke.
- $3.9 million settlement for hundreds of plant workers who were illegally denied pay for the time they spent suiting up and stripping down each day.
- $3.5 million class action settlement for home-based customer service agents who claimed their employer unlawfully withheld compensation in violation of the FLSA wage and hours provisions.
- $1.95 Million settlement in a neurosurgery and neuroradiology malpractice case resulting in quadriparesis following an undiagnosed and untreated spinal hematoma.
- $1,187,500 settlement in a medical malpractice case involving a woman suffering from bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis requiring a permanent tracheostomy due to the malpractice of the surgeon that performed a thyroidectomy and the anesthesiologist.
- $1.86 million medical malpractice settlement for the estate of a man who died three weeks after elective surgery for which the defendant anesthesiologist should not have cleared him.
- $1,462,500 settlement for the estate of a 58-year-old patient who died from complications following liver transplant surgery.
- $1.3 million wrongful death settlement for the estate of a 25-year-old man who died from undiagnosed and untreated testicular cancer.
- $1 million medical malpractice settlement for a man who suffered catastrophic and permanent injuries after hospital personnel failed to timely diagnose and treat his stroke.
- $950,000 settlement in a civil rights case for deliberate indifference to the serious psychiatric needs of a pretrial detainee being held on a charge of driving on a suspended license who ultimately committed suicide.
- $855,000 verdict in a wrongful death case alleging an oral surgeon’s failure to diagnose tongue cancer.
- $719,000 arbitration award for a Black doctor and military officer wrongfully terminated due to her race and military service.
- $675,000 arbitration award for a woman’s broken leg after a tree being cut down by a tree removal company fell on her as she was walking to her car.
- $650,000 wrongful death settlement for the failure to diagnose and treat aortic dissection.
- $600,000 settlement for wrongful death resulting from bariatric surgery malpractice.
- $520,000 settlement in a legal malpractice case against two law firms arising for their representation of a client who was being sued for breach of contract after purchasing a closed-door pharmacy.
- $500,000 settlement for the family of a Mexican immigrant who died from smoke inhalation due to a fire while living in the basement of the party store/restaurant where he worked. He was unable to escape due to the lack of smoke detectors and the fact that the stairway to the outside from the basement had been covered over.
- $500,000 settlement for a man who sustained permanent and catastrophic injuries when a big-rig operated by an out-of-control truck driver struck his car on an interstate highway.
- $450,000 settlement for the family of a 75-year-old woman who died due to a failure to timely diagnose and treat post-operative cardiac bleeding.
- Significant class action verdict involving claims that food-processing workers were required to put on or “don” protective gear at the beginning of their shifts and remove or “doff” the gear after their shifts ended, but were not paid for the time spent conducting these tasks.
NOTEWORTHY CASES
- Colon v. Loomis Armored US, LLC (Class Counsel)
- Serbay v. DialogDirect, Inc. (Class Counsel)
- Padan v. West Corporation (Class Counsel)
- Atkinson v. TeleTech, LLC (Class Counsel)
- Toliver v. JBS Plainwell, Inc. et al. (Class Counsel)
- Terry v. TMX Finance LLC et al. (Class Counsel)
NEWS & COMMUNITY
- Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Clinic
- Glazier Clinics – Detroit 2017 and 2018
- Contributor, Fox 2 News
Memberships
- State Bar of Michigan
- Judicial Qualifications Committee
- Michigan Association for Justice
- Executive Board Member
- American Association for Justice
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Litigation Counsel of America
- Member, Trial Law Institute
- Member, Diversity Law Institute
- Barrister, Order of Veritas
- Case Evaluator – Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County Circuit Courts
- Hickory Point Homeowners Association – Board Member
- Assistant Varsity Football Coach, Offensive Coordinator – Birmingham Groves High School
- Former Assistant High School Football Coach for Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, Dublin (Ohio) High School, Birmingham Seaholm High School, and Troy Athens High School
Testimonials
Matt Turner and his whole staff have acted very professionally, respectfully, and responsively to my every need. I highly recommend him to represent you in any legal matter you may have. Thank you again for all your help and guidance.
As a President and CEO, I have had the opportunity to work with many law firms and attorneys on various legal matters. Recently, I became in need of personal representation in a lawsuit. After a review of alternatives, I received a recommendation for Sommers Schwartz, P.C, and specifically to the counsel of attorney Matthew Turner.
At our introductory meeting, Matt had me methodically review my situation, discussed my alternatives and then proceeded to explain his approach for handling the case. Key in that explanation, was how he described himself as a “litigator.” Unlike some attorneys who are either very book smart, can make a great argument, or like to negotiate settlements (although Matt possesses all of those exceptional attributes), Matt set himself apart by his commitment to litigating this case and seeing it through to the conclusion of the entire arbitration process.
Matt added Tad Roumayah, a Sommers Schwartz colleague, to the legal team. Tad provided all of the detailed and timely responses that the proceedings required, provided constant communication and feedback throughout the case, and also conducted my deposition and examination at the arbitration.
At the arbitration, Matt’s personal description of himself as a “litigator” rang true. He quickly took total command of the arbitration proceedings. His preparation, thoroughness and tenacity overwhelmed the defendant and his attorney. Together, Matt and Tad presented my case with the highest level of professionalism, personal integrity, and competency that one would want and expect at a time of personal need and crisis. And the resultant award exceeded my expectations.
So, for anyone seeking exceptional legal representation, I can thoroughly and personally recommend Mathew Turner and Tad Roumayah from the law firm of Sommers Schwartz, P.C.
I want to express my sincere thanks to you for getting justice for my son and restoring my hope in humanity. After his death, I labored for over one-and-a-half years to find an attorney to file the case. I reached out to more than a dozen law firms for representation and was consistently told that nothing could be done. I am grateful to you and your firm for your unwavering belief in this case.
Going through the legal process was foreign and nerve-racking for me but I was able to garner confidence from my attorney. His meticulousness and dedication was astounding, allowing me to lean on him for support and guidance throughout the process. I am fully confident he was the key factor in the success of my outcome.
Recent Posts
- Detroit College of Law, Juris Doctor (JD), summa cum laude
- Detroit College of Law Class of 1961 Cup
- Detroit College of Law William B. Giles Award
- American Jurisprudence Award- Torts
- American Jurisprudence Award-Legal Profession
- Ohio State University, Bachelor of Science (BSC)
- Michigan
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
I consider the most important part of my work to be the ability to fight for and protect the rights of my clients.
Learn more about Matt
