Attorney Matthew William Clark's Legal Cases

Personal injury

Munoz, et al. v. Confidential Defendant

Apr 01, 2018

OUTCOME: $26,000,000 Settlement on behalf of the Plaintiffs

On February 16, 2015, four members of the Munoz and Gomez families were traveling toward the Ontario Mills Mall in Ontario, California. As they traveled along the freeway, traffic began to slow, and t ... hey slowed with it. Unfortunately, a summer intern of a large construction company was following close behind them in a Ford Ranger pickup truck. But he took his eyes off the road, failed to see the slowing traffic, and plowed into the back of the Munozes and Gomezes Toyota Corolla at more than 70 miles an hour. The Corolla containing the four family members was all but crumpled in half. One rear-seat passenger lost her life—leaving eight wrongful death claimants among her brothers, sisters, and financially dependent niece. Another rear-seat passenger suffered extensive spinal and facial fractures, a major traumatic brain injury that left her skull caved in and her face disfigured, which left her virtually blind in one eye and in for a lifetime of chronic pain, treatments, and difficulties. The driver and front-seat passenger suffered serious head, neck, back and shoulder injuries that required months of therapy, surgical repair, chronic pain, and a lifetime of emotional distress from witnessing the death of and serious injury to their family members.

Brain injury

Serious Car Accident Results in $30M Settlement for Client

Dec 10, 2017

OUTCOME: $30,000,000

Client was catastrophically injured when a truck drive shaft sheared off of the truck, rocketed through her windshield, and struck her in the face. Client suffered massive traumatic brain injury, visi ... on loss, brain tissue loss, and massive difficulties with daily life. Case was also brought on behalf of her husband for loss of consortium, and damages included extensive past medical damages, a lifetime of future care, pain and suffering, and the possibility of punitive damages against the company.

Insurance

Assisting family with large life insurance claim

Apr 01, 2015

OUTCOME: The full seven figure policy benefits, plus interest.

A middle-aged man disappeared during a boating accident, and Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP was retained to assist his family and loved ones with obtaining the life insurance benefits on the po ... licies covering his life. Normally, in the event of a disappearance, the beneficiaries would have to wait five years to collect the proceeds. But due to the work at SBEB, the beneficiaries were able to collect benefits in a significantly shorter period of time, without the need for a lawsuit.

Insurance

Failure to settle

Jan 01, 2015

OUTCOME: High six figure settlement

Following a devastating auto accident, our client made a policy limit demand to the other driver's insurance company. The insurer refused to pay the modest policy limits, and, following judgment in th ... e personal injury matter, SBEB pursued the bad faith action against the insurer.

Insurance

Death of an American citizen abroad, and the fight for life insurance

Nov 01, 2014

OUTCOME: High six figure settlement

A young dual citizen was spending time with his family in Southeast Asia when he was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident that caused a brain injury. After being told there was nothing that could ... be done for him, he tragically passed away in his family's home. Upon his relatives in the USA making a claim on his life insurance, the insurers began a pattern of delaying, denying, and obfuscating for years, before finally denying the claim, contending that the young man hadn't actually passed away. Despite no proof of his continued existence, the insurers refused to pay our client anything on the policies. Following litigation in federal court, the matter was finally and favorably resolved at private mediation.

Consumer protection

28 Angelinos Receive Quality Housing Due to Efforts from Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP and the Inner City Law Center

Apr 24, 2014

OUTCOME: $3,000,000+ settlement

Largest ICLC lawsuit settlement in history also provides relocation costs and refurbished, affordable housing in Los Angeles April 21, 2014 - Los Angeles, CA - Attorneys from Shernoff Bidart Echeverr ... ia Bentley and the Inner City Law Center worked together to help 28 people living in slum housing conditions obtain not only monetary compensation for being forced to live in deplorable housing conditions, but also relocation benefits, and a full renovation of the building. The final monetary settlement was reached in April 2014, in which the aggregate amount of recovery for the clients was a combination of $680,000 in monetary damages, plus relocation benefits of $93,150, plus a full $3,000,000 renovation of the building, including100 units of newly refurbished affordable housing in Los Angeles. The renovation included replacing all of the plumbing, windows, appliances, wiring, lighting, paint, drywall, the elevator, flooring, and the entire fire safety system at the property. One hundred fully renovated, rent-controlled housing units now exist in Los Angeles due to the efforts of SBEB and ICLC. The attorneys’ fees totaled 1/3 of gross recovery—the entirety of which will be going to the Inner City Law Center, care of SBEB, to continue their mission of serving the most vulnerable in Los Angeles. "When the Inner City Law Center approached the firm to join as counsel on a slum lord housing case, Villegas, et al. v. Vista Cahuenga, et al., we enthusiastically agreed to do so," said lead attorney Gregory L. Bentley. "This case marks a huge victory for the ICLC and is a great sign of what a smaller firm can achieve. This victory was made possible by the expert work of Matt Clark and Ashley Parris and the contributions made by Claire Lucich."

Insurance

Property Insurance Dispute

Mar 03, 2014

OUTCOME: $8,000,000 settlement

Lead law and motion attorney on an insurance dispute arising from a major commercial property fire in downtown Los Angeles. After the insurers’ repeated law and motion attempts to delay the case were d ... enied, the matter resulted in a confidential high seven figure settlement with the insurers.

Insurance

Failure to settle against major insurance company

May 01, 2013

OUTCOME: Seven figure settlement for the injured motorcyclist

A young man was injured in a tragic motorcycle vs. automobile accident. The negligent driver of the auto had a minimum limits insurance policy. The auto driver's insurance company failed to settle cl ... aims against its insured during the underlying personal injury case. Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley was tasked with pursuing the bad faith case against the insurance carrier for its failure to accept a reasonable opportunity to settle within policy limits. Following an assignment of rights by the insured, SBEB proceeded against the insurer, representing the injured motorcyclist.

Employment and labor

George Sturges v. Kern Fuels Research, LLC, et al.

Jul 26, 2012

OUTCOME: Plaintiff verdict - $1,976,270

Plaintiff was an employee with Kern Oil & Refining Company (subsidiary of Casey Co.) since 1983. In the mid-1990s, Plaintiff developed an innovative diesel fuel additive which helped defendant to over ... come strict California diesel fuel emissions standards. Plaintiff was also responsible for developing marketing and sale strategies for the diesel fuel additive, which generated millions of dollars in profits yearly over a 10 year period. In 2007, Casey Co. offered Mr. Sturges a unique profit-sharing agreement on the sales of the diesel fuel additive, as well as splitting off the additive sale business into a new company, Kern Fuels Research, LLC. As part of this new arrangement, Mr. Sturges was also given the position of Vice President of the new company. Under the new profit-sharing agreement, Mr. Sturges continued to be the sole salesperson for the diesel fuel additive, generating over $70 million in profits in 2007 and 2008 for Casey Co. In 2009, after honoring its profit-sharing agreement with Mr. Sturges for two years, Casey Co. arbitrarily breached the profit-sharing agreement by reducing Mr. Sturges’ profit share by half for 2009 and a discretionary bonus for 2010 and beyond. In the early and mid-2000’s, Plaintiff signed several agreements acknowledging his status as an “at-will” employee while at Kern Oil & Refining Company. Furthermore, in May 2008, Casey Co. had Plaintiff sign an “Employee Intellectual Property, Confidential Information, and Non-Disclosure Agreement” that within its terms contained an acknowledgment that his employment at Casey Co. was “at-will”. However, Plaintiff contended that his move to Kern Fuels Research, LLC in 2007, the conduct and promises of Casey Co., and Plaintiff’s unique position as the only employee with a profit-sharing agreement in company history made it so that he was no longer an “at-will” employee and Casey Co. could only demote him for good cause. Plaintiff also contended that the 2008 Intellectual Property Agreement was either signed without consideration, or was not intended to be a modification of his employment status, or was signed under duress. During the early months of 2009, Plaintiff attempted to get Casey Co. to honor its 2007 agreement. However, in June of 2009, Casey Co. made it unequivocally clear that it would not honor the profit-sharing agreement and would continue with the demotion. Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff resigned from his employment on June 3, 2009.

Matthew William Clark's Legal Cases (9)

Munoz, et al. v. Confidential Defendant

Serious Car Accident Results in $30M Settlement for Client

Assisting family with large life insurance claim

Failure to settle

Death of an American citizen abroad, and the fight for life insurance

28 Angelinos Receive Quality Housing Due to Efforts from Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP and the Inner City Law Center

Property Insurance Dispute

Failure to settle against major insurance company

George Sturges v. Kern Fuels Research, LLC, et al.