Mazie Slater > Our Attorneys > Matthew R. Mendelsohn

Matthew R. Mendelsohn

Matthew R. Mendelsohn is a trial lawyer specializing in complex civil and class action litigation. Mr. Mendelsohn is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York. He is also admitted to practice before the Third and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Education:

Rutgers University (B.A. Economics), Seton Hall University (J.D.)

Awards/Recognition:

Recognized as a “New Leader of the Bar” by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2012
Selected as a member of “The Top 40 under 40” by The National Trial Lawyers in 2012
Selected by Super Lawyers Magazine – Super Lawyer, 2015 – 2019
Selected by Super Lawyers Magazine – Rising Star, 2008 – 2014

Sample Recoveries:

$69 million class action recovery against Volkswagen and Audi. This case involved defects in over 3 million Volkswagen and Audi vehicles throughout the country. The alleged defects resulted in water damage to the vehicles interior and electrical components, including damage to the electronics that control the transmission. This settlement is currently on appeal.

$40 million settlement on Honda & Acura class action. This case stemmed from defects in over 1 million Honda and Acura vehicles in the US. The alleged defects in the air-conditioning system, including the condenser and compressor, resulted in failure of the system and costly repairs.

$20+ million class action settlement in Nissan class action. This was a nationwide class action lawsuit against Nissan relating to alleged defects in Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Xterra and Nissan Frontier vehicles. Due to the alleged defects in these vehicles’ radiators, the interior components of the radiators (internal transmission oil coolers) break down allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. As a result of the contamination, the transmission and other drivetrain components are damaged and may require replacement.

$19.2 Million Settlement for Wrongful Death and Burn Injury. This is a case in which a natural gas explosion in a home caused severe burn injuries to several of our clients, three of whom died from their burn injuries. This is the largest settlement for a burn injury in New Jersey history.

$12 million class action settlement against Honda. This nationwide settlement involved alleged defects in suspension of certain Honda vehicles leading to premature and irregular tire wear.

$11 million settlement involving alleged third-party energy fraud. This was a class action against Energy Plus regarding allegations that they misrepresented their rates in order to obtain customers.

$7 million settlement for construction accident. This was a case in which a 56 year old carpenter was injured when a scaffold plank broke, and he fell 8 feet, suffering a fractured back and paralysis as a result. Click here to read article.

$6 million settlement in bus accident case. This case involved a women who was crossing the street in the crosswalk when she was struck by a school bus attempting to make a left turn. As a result of the accident, she sustained multiple life-threatening injuries including a fractured spine. Through cutting edge surgery and hard work she was able to regain her ability to walk with the assistance of a cane.

$6 million recovery from BMW. This nationwide class action settlement involved alleged defects in the continuously-variable transmissions (CVT) used in some mini cooper vehicles.

$5 million settlement for truck accident. This was a motor vehicle accident in which our client was hit by a tractor trailer. As a result of this accident, our client suffered severe spinal injuries, was rendered disabled, and was unable to work. We won summary judgment on the liability portion of the case and ultimately settled this truck accident lawsuit for $5 million dollars.

$4.7 million settlement in product liability case. This case involved a mechanic who while working on an automobile suffered severe burns over 42% of his body when a fire was ignited by a droplight that was in the vicinity. Mr. Mendelsohn sued all the companies involved in the design and marketing of the light due to their inappropriate marketing of the light to commercial garages when they knew the drop light was neither safe nor approved for such use. The case settled after years of hard fought litigation.

$2.5 million class action settlement with sanofi-aventis. This case involved 126 class members who alleged that their incentive compensation was improperly reduced by their employer.

$2.05 million settlement in dram shop case. Our client, one of two people injured by a drunk driver, pursued claims against the establishment that negligently served the drunk driver when he was visibly intoxicated. Our client sustained broken bones in her face requiring surgery and a total loss of vision in one eye. The establishment paid its entire $2 million in insurance coverage to resolve this matter shortly before trial.

$2 million verdict in van accident case. This was a case in which a woman was struck while walking across a Hudson County street, by a transportation van owned by Hudson County, New Jersey. The woman suffered multiple serious injuries, including her neck, back, and pudendal nerve. During negotiations prior to trial the insurance company for Hudson County offered $850,000 to settle the case, and that offer was rejected. The case then went to trial and resulted in a $2 million jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff.

$2 million settlement for negligent ladder maintenance. A cable television installer left quadriplegic by a 20-foot fall from a ladder accepted $2 million (which was the insurance policy limits). The plaintiff was working when the ladder slipped, allegedly because it had a worn foot pad, causing it to lose contact with the pavement. According to Fitzhugh’s safety expert, the footpad was worn but not replaced when the ladder was inspected in November 2009 by Batavia Services of Seaview, Texas, which was under contract with Fitzhugh’s employer, Time-Warner Cable, to regularly inspect its ladders and make repairs where needed.

$1.875 million settlement for wrongful death. The plaintiff was killed in a tragic accident on the New Jersey Turnpike when a tractor trailer lost control and struck plaintiff’s vehicle. Because the plaintiff was killed instantly, he luckily had no “pain and suffering,” thereby limiting the value of the case.

$1.8 million settlement for delayed diagnosis of ovarian cancer. The plaintiff alleged that her OBGYN failed to timely recognize her ovarian cancer resulting in a significant delay in diagnosis. Plaintiff alleged that this delay resulted in the cancer progressing from stage I to stage III.

$1.54 million recovery for boating accident victims. This arose out of terrible maritime accident, one mile east of Long Branch, New Jersey. The plaintiffs were anchored and fishing off of the stern of a 17 foot Hydra-Sport skiff. Unbeknownst to plaintiffs, a 36-foot Yellowfin sport fishing vessel was on a collision course for their location and proceeded to run over the Hydra-Sport while travelling approximately 30-35 m.p.h. As a result of the collision, one of the plaintiffs was killed and the other seriously injured.

$1.4 million Settlement for nurse malpractice. This is a confidential settlement, the details cannot be disclosed.

$1.2 million award in truck accident case. This was a case in which a truck driver transporting an 18-wheel tractor-trailer filled with plastic irrigation coils sustained serious injuries when the coils rolled over his legs after he attempted to unload the trailer. The claims included negligence against the company who loaded the coils onto the rig in a faulty manner. The case settled after arbitration for $1.2 million.

$1.2 million medical malpractice settlement. This case involved a neurologist’s failure to diagnose a herniated disk that resulted in partial paralysis of the plaintiff.

$1.14 million settlement in motorcycle accident case. A man who was stopped on his motorcycle at a red light was struck by a bus making a left turn and dragged 50 feet resulting in severe injuries to his leg and shoulder requiring multiple surgeries.

Selected Decisions:

Gray v. BMW of N. Am., LLC, 2017 WL 3638771 (D.N.J. Aug. 24, 2017), appeal dismissed, 2017 WL 8727424 (3d Cir. Nov. 14, 2017)
Ahmed v. HSBC Bank USA, Nat’l Ass’n, 2017 WL 5720548 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 6, 2017)
Ahmed v. HSBC Bank USA, Nat’l Ass’n, 2017 WL 5765734 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 6, 2017), reconsdr. denied, 2018 WL 501413 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 5, 2018)
Haghayeghi v. Guess?, Inc., 2017 WL 3723949 (S.D. Cal. Apr. 25, 2017)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2017 WL 1217145 (D.N.J. Apr. 3, 2017)
Meyer v. Bebe Stores, Inc., 2017 WL 558017 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 10, 2017)
Abelard v. Clean Earth, Inc., 2017 WL 600082 (D.N.J. Feb. 14, 2017)
Claridge v. N. Am. Power & Gas, LLC, 2016 WL 7009062 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 30, 2016)
Haghayeghi v. Guess?, Inc., 168 F. Supp. 3d 1277 (S.D. Cal. 2016)
Yaeger v. Subaru of Am., Inc., 2016 WL 4547126 (D.N.J. Aug. 31, 2016)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of N. Am, LLC, 794 F.3d 353, (3d Cir. 2015)
Meyer v. Bebe Stores, Inc., 2015 WL 1223658 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 17, 2015)
Meyer v. Bebe Stores, Inc., 2015 WL 431148 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 2, 2015)
Yaeger v. Subaru of America, Inc., 2014 WL 7883689 (D.N.J. Oct. 8, 2014)
Gray v. BMW of North America, LLC, 2014 WL 4723161 (D.N.J. Sep. 23, 2014)
Zakskorn v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., 2014 WL 3058448 (E.D. Cal. Jul. 3, 2014)
Aarons v. BMW North America, LLC, 2014 WL 4090512(C.D. Cal. Jun. 20, 2014)
Gray v. BMW of North America, LLC, 22 F.Supp.3d 373 (D.N.J. 2014)
Aarons v. BMW North America, LLC, 2014 WL 4090564 (C.D. Cal. Apr. 29, 2014)
Overton v. Sanofi-Aventis U.S., LLC, 2014 WL 1554718 (D.N.J. Apr. 9, 2014)
Dewey v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, 558 Fed.Appx. 191 (3d Cir. 2014)
Majdipour v. Jaguar Land Rover North America, 2013 WL 5574626 (D.N.J. Oct. 9, 2013)
In re Nissan Radiator/Trans. Cooler Litig., 2013 WL 4080946 (S.D.N.Y. May 30, 2013)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2013 WL 195597 (D.N.J. Mar. 4, 2013)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2013 WL 784962 (D.N.J. Mar. 1, 2013)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2013 WL 785056 (D.N.J. Mar. 1, 2013)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2013 WL 785059 (D.N.J. Mar. 1, 2013)
Dewey v. Aktiengesellschaft, 681 F. 3d 170 (3d Cir. 2012)
Dewey v. Volkswagen of America, 909 F. Supp. 2d 373 (D.N.J. 2012)
Dewey v. Volkswagen of America, 2012 WL 8433901 (D.N.J. Nov. 26, 2012)
Keegan v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., 2012 WL 7152289 (9th Cir. Nov. 9, 2012)
Bourne-Miller v. BMW of North America, 2012 WL 7984646 (D.N.J. Aug. 15, 2012)
Keegan v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., 838 F. Supp. 2d 929 (C.D. Cal. 2012)
Keegan v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., 284 F.R.D. 504 (C.D. Cal. 2012)
Kas v. Mercedes-Benz, USA, LLC, 2012 WL 473931 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 1, 2012)
Mechin v. Carquest Corp., 2012 WL 645942 (D.N.J. Feb. 28, 2012)
Szymczak v. Nissan North America, Inc. 2012 WL 1877306 (S.D.N.Y. May 15, 2012)
Alin v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 2012 WL 8751045 (D.N.J. Apr. 13, 2012)
Bourne-Miller v. BMW of North America, 2012 WL 7984646 (D.N.J. Aug. 15, 2012)
Faistl v. Energy Plus Holdings, LLC, 2012 WL 3835815 (D.N.J. Sept. 4, 2012)
Feldman v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 2012 WL 6596830 (D.N.J. Dec. 18, 2012)
Lintao v. Livingston, et al., 2011 WL 2935052 (App. Div. 2011)
Neale v. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, 2011 WL 1362470 (D.N.J. Apr. 11, 2011)
Mechin v. Carquest Corp., 2010 WL 3259808 (D.N.J. Aug. 17, 2010)
Alin v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 2010 WL 1372308 (D.N.J. 2010)
Sutter v. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, 406 N.J. Super. 86 (App. Div. 2009)
Delguercio v. Volkswagen of America, Inc., 558 F.Supp. 2d 505 (D.N.J. 2008)
Evenson vs. Salwani, 2007 WL 3306761 (App. Div. 2007)
Agnelli v. Agnelli, 2007 WL 412821 (App. Div. 2007)

Member:

The American Association for Justice
New Jersey Association for Justice
Essex County Bar Association