Matthew Merrill

Missouri

Kansas

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

United States District Court for the District of Kansas

United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

Numerous verdicts, judgments and dismissals in favor of health care providers in Missouri and Kansas state and federal court lawsuits. Selected representative examples of favorable outcomes:

April 2025, 12-0 unanimous defense verdict in Johnson County, Kansas in favor of assisted living facility in a dehydration, UTI, kidney failure, sepsis and pressure ulcer personal injury and wrongful death case.

$25 Million, 12-0 unanimous defense verdict in Jackson County, Missouri in favor of skilled nursing facility in a pressure injury wrongful death case, November 2023, #4 defense verdict in Missouri in 2023 as published by Missouri Lawyers Weekly, affirmed on appeal April 2025.

Judgment in favor of dental practice in claim alleging failed implants and infection, St. Louis County.

Judgment in favor of oral surgery group regarding surgery sedation adverse outcome, Kansas federal court.

Judgment in favor of general dentist, St. Louis County.

Judgment in favor of allied healthcare professionals in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Matt won a complete defense verdict in favor of his client, a skilled nursing facility, in The Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri at Kansas City in May 2013. This was one of the highest-dollar defense verdicts in Missouri in 2013.

Other recent representative verdicts and judgments include a defense judgment in favor of anesthesiologist (2012); defense judgment in favor of pulmonologist (2011); defense judgment in favor of physician group (2010); and defense verdict in favor of dentist (2008).

Matt has been the lead attorney in hundreds of lawsuits covering a wide variety of practice areas including professional liability defense, personal injury defense, premises liability defense, products liability defense and commercial litigation. In addition to trial work, Matt has obtained hundreds of favorable mediation outcomes for his clients.

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Defense Research Institute

Defense Research Institute, Medical Liability and Health

Care Law Committee

Johnson County Bar Association

Kansas Association of Defense Counsel

Kansas Bar Association

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Medical-Legal/Nursing Home Negligence Committee

Missouri Bar Association

Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers

“30(b)(6) Handling in LTC Case” CLE presented at attorney seminar (August 2026)

“Defending LTC Facility Pressure Injury Claims” presented at medical malpractice insurer seminar (May 2026)

“Artificial Intelligence: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” CLE presented at medical malpractice insurer defense counsel seminar (April 2026)

“Litigation Hot Topics Roundtable Discussion,” medical malpractice insurer defense counsel seminar (May 2025)

“Medical Records Review for Dental and Long Term Care Cases,” presented at CLE conference (March 2024)

“Dentist Risk Management From a Trial Lawyer’s Perspective,” presented to dental study club (March 2024)

“Kansas Defense Litigation Roundtable,” medical malpractice insurer defense counsel seminar (March 2023)

“Senate Bill 591 and Its Potential Impact,” in-house counsel CLE conference (June 2020)

“Expert Depositions in Medical Malpractice/Nursing Home Litigation,” KCMBA continuing legal education seminar (May 2019)

“Pressure Ulcers, Pressure Offloading and Documentation” Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund Seminar (May 2019)

“Missouri Nursing Home Law,” presented to medical liability analyst and claims management group (July 2018)

“Mock Deposition of Director of Nursing,” 2015 NADONA/LTC National Conference (June 2015)

“Common Themes in Nursing Home Litigation,” LTC/CCRC insurer (April 2014)

“Risk Management 2011: Practicing Dentistry in Today’s Litigious Society,” UMKC School of Dentistry Midwest Dental Conference (April 2011)

“Facebook Ethics,” CLE program on ethical considerations and social networking websites (2010)

“Challenges to Missouri Tort Reform,” Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund Defense Counsel Seminar (2006)

“Cross Examination of Plaintiff’s Treating Physician & Other Medical Experts,” Missouri Products Liability Handbook (Rev. March 2004)

“The Sheep Heard ‘Round the World: Legislation vs. Self-Regulation of Human Cloning,” Kansas J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 169, 185 (1998)