Paul A. Matiasic
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in San Francisco, California
The Matiasic Firm, P.C.
Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability; view more
Licensed in California since: 2003
Education: Pepperdine University School of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Italian
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2023 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2011 - 2013 Call today:
415-675-1089
Free Consultation The Matiasic Firm, P.C.
4 Embarcadero CenterSuite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94111 Visit website
Details
Attorney Paul A. Matiasic is a shareholder in The Matiasic Firm, P.C., in San Francisco, California. Mr. Matiasic devotes his practice to sexual abuse, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death matters, representing clients in the San Francisco area and throughout California. He has handled cases involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, product liability and more and has secured substantial seven-figure verdicts and settlements for his clients.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, Mr. Matiasic earned his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law where he was a member of the Dean’s List. He also attended the University of Oxford, studying European Union and international law. He has been admitted to practice in the state of California since 2003.
Because of his experience, knowledge and legal acumen, Mr. Matiasic has been featured in publications including the The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard, Bloomberg, NBC News, East Bay Times, the Fresno Bee, the Mercury News, Marin Independent Journal and various other television and radio stations in the San Francisco area. Additional recognition that Mr. Matiasic has received includes being named to the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys “10 Best Attorney" lists. He is also a lifetime charter member of Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America and a Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He recently obtained the largest award ever ($9.25MM) in a rural Northern California County, exceeding the previous record by a multiple of 4.5. He has been at the forefront of expanding the ability to prosecute cases of childhood sexual abuse against those perpetrators and institutions that allowed the same to occur, including procuring several landmark awards related thereto within the last twleve months. Moreover, after weeks of arbitration and against all odds, in 2019 Mr. Matiasic procured a significant multiple six-figure arbitration award against one of the largest health maintenance organizations in the nation.
In addition to his law practice, Mr. Matiasic is actively involved in a number of professional organizations. He belongs to the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, the State Bar of California, and was elected to the Executive Committee and Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Products: PlaintiffFocus areas
Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 80% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 2003, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.thematiasicfirm.com/our-attorneys/paul-a-matiasi...
Educational Background:
- Pepperdine University School of Law
- Santa Clara University
- Oxford University, International and European Union Law
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Volunteer, Union Rescue Mission Legal Clinic
Honors/Awards:
- Top Attorneys, Northern California's Outstanding Young Lawyers, American Registry, 2011
- , Presidential Award of Merit, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2022
- Paul was honored to be included in the elite group of lawyers recognized for excellence in the area of personal injury law., Recognized for Excellence in Personal Injury Law, Lawyers of Distinction , 2022
- Mr. Matiasic was once again included in the list of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers., Top 100 Trial Lawyer, The National Trial Lawyers, 2022
- , Presidential Award of Merit, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2021
- For the 9th year in a row, selected as one of the Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys in the United States., Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorney, The National Trial Lawyers, 2021
- Once again selected for inclusion by the Lawyers of Distinction., Excellence in Personal Injury Law, Lawyers of Distinction, 2021
- , Top 100 Trial Attorney, The National Trial Lawyers, 2020
- Paul was once again included in the list of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers., Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2018
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2013
- Best Attorney-Lifetime Charter Member, Rue Ratings, 2015
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2016
- Top 10 Under 40 Attorney Award for the State of California, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2015
- Madison’s Who’s Who
- Recognized in Madison Who's Who Amongst Industry Leaders, Madison Who's Who
- Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2012
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2014 and 2015
- Life Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2014
- American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2015
- Top 1%, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015
- Nominated as a Best Lawyer in San Francisco by LegalForce Media Publications, 2008
- Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2013
- Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers2014, 2015, and 2016
- Top 10 Under 40, National Academy of Personal Injury Lawyers, 2015
- Premier 100 Trial Attorneys, American Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2015
- Northern California Rising Stars℠, Super Lawyers®
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Mr. Matiasic secured the Dismissal of Separarte Lawsuits against two religious entities on the basis that the claims infringed upon his clients' First Amendment rights. , 2011
- Paul was featured in a number of national publications in conjunction with his handling of a precedent-setting drug overdose case in the music industry., 2022
- Successfully defeated Anti-SLAPP motion filed by Thrasher Magazine in a case arising out of the brutal assault on a commercial security guard by a group of skateboarders., 2021
- Along with co-counsel, successfully defeated Motion to Dismiss filed by global technology company in a case alleging beneficiary liability against the tech company related to unlawful sex trafficking of minors., 2021
- On appeal in First District, Paul successfully overturned a lower court decision sustaining a demurrer without leave to amend as to a number of bank defendants involved in a sequence of events that led to the shooting of Paul's client who was present at a property to conduct a trash out of a previously foreclosed residence. In overturning the lower court, the Court of Appeal concluded that facts could indeed be presented to impose a duty upon the banks in the described circumstance., 2018
- Obtained a Writ of Mandate from the First District Court of Appeal in a complex case involving First Amendment and Equal Protection Rights. (Mary Doe v. The United Methodist Church et al.)
- Paul was interviewd on KTVU-Channel 2 and quoted in several newspapers and radio outlets related to his work in several high-profile cases implicating the public interest., 2014
Transactions:
- Mr. Matiasic's work on behalf of workers who died on the job due COVID to was chronicled in the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Bloomberg News, and Washington Post, among others., 2020
- Mr. Matiasic was quoted in Bloomberg news sources, among others, to discuss his expertise in the application of tort laws in cases involving COVID transmission in the workplace., 2021
- Mr. Matiasic's prosecution of a groundbreaking wrongful death case on behalf of a deceased performing artist's mother was widely chronicled numerous times in 2021 in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NY Daily News, among others. , 2021
- Paul was extensively quoted in several media outlets, including the East Bay Times and Associated Press, in conjunction with his representation of several families who lost loved ones in the tragic Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland. Paul vigorously defended the families' right to be heard, and their opinions considered, in conjunction with the presentation of Victim Impact Statements in relation to the concurrent criminal prosecution amd sentencing of the master tenanats at the warehouse., 2018
Representative Clients:
- Mr. Matiasic filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against a national grocery retailer for an employee's contraction of Covid 19 on the job and his subsequent death., 2020
- Paul was counsel in a appellate case that overturned an erroneous ruling by a trial court holding that a school district that had applied an "actual knowledge" standard in order for a school district liable for a sexual assault perpetrated by one if its employees. , 2022
- Along with co-counsel, filed a landmark action against tech giant Twitter on behalf of a minor who was unlawfully sex-trafficked on its site., 2021
- Recently quoted in a Contra Costa Times article in which Mr. Matiasic's clients were dismissed by way of a successful dispositive motion from a complex case involving a religious institution in the East Bay, 2010
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Procured $3,700,000 settlement in wrongful death case, 2020
- Paul obtained a jury verdict of over $28,000,000 in Los Angeles County Superior Court arising out of a single act of sexual assault perpetrated upon a minor by her elderly neighbor. The best offer from the defendant in the case was a low six-figure number as it was argued that the abuse was "over the clothes" and last only a few seconds. , 2022
- After a two month trial, Paul obtained a jury verdict of over $2,000,000 in a case stemming from the wrongful death of a husband and father of two who passed away at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility., 2022
- Confidential high six figure settlement against perpetrator arising out of acts of childhood sexual abuse., 2021
- Achieved a $3,025,000 resolution in motorcycle accident case in Contra Costa County via novel circumnavigation of the going and coming rule., 2021
- Obtained a $600,000 recovery in an action based upon childhood sexual abuse claims, 2021
- Paul recently obtained the highest recovery ever, $9,250,000, in the history of a particular rural Northern California County. This figure eclipsed the previous high mark for either a verdict or settlement in this particular county by multiplier of 4.5. The case was fiercely defended, and touched upon nuanced and esoteric liability issues inclduing the application of the sudden emergency affirmative doctrine. Paul's client was riding his motorcycle home from the grocery store when he was impacted by a truck towing irrigation pipes. The driver of the adverse vehicle had a fatal heart attack which occasioned him to cross the double yelllow line and careen into Paul's client, causing complex and catastrophic injuries. After extensive investigation and creative discovery techniques, Paul was able to marshal evidence undercutting the claimed unforeseeability of the event. Specifically, he presented a compelling case infused with medical substantiation to negate this defense and pave the road to this record-setting result for his client., 2018
- In 2011, Mr. Matiasic obtained what is believed to be the highest wrongful death verdict in the history of Madera County. Specifically, following a five-week-long dangerous condition of public property trial, a Madera County jury awarded Mr. Matiasic's clients over $2,000,000 in finding that a portion of State Route 41 consituted a dangerous condition of public property. The State of California, by and through the Department of Transportation, vigorously defended the case at trial. Mr. Matiasic also procured large confidential six figure settlements in two complex medical malpractice matters, one of which involved the wrongful death of man with severe complications from diabetes and congestive heart failure., 2011
- Paul procured a confidential six-figure settlement on the eve of trial on behalf of the family of a 21-year-old UC Santa Cruz who was tragically killed riding home from class. The expert-intensive products liability case involved one of the largest manufacturers of bicycle related equipment in the world., 2013
- Paul procured a $1,457,500 settlement in a case involving a collision between a SUV and motorcyclist in the City of Woodland located in Yolo County. The complex case involved multiple Defendants each of whom denied liability. Paul was able to demonstrate that a roadway sign installed as part of the development of residential subdivision adjacent to the roadway was placed at an incorrect height. The height of the signage created a visibility obstruction leading to the collision and Plaintiff's catastrophic injuries. , 2014
- Paul secured a judgment in the amount of $2,225,000 in San Mateo County Superior Court stemming for the inappropriate sexual battery perpetrated by an anesthesia technician on an anesthetized patient. Paul convincingly argued that the while the Plaintiff did not have a contemporaneous awareness of the sexual abuse, the consequences and damages of the sexual battery were no less profound. Specifically, Paul posited that this lack of contemporary awareness of the abuse while it was happened occasioned even greater damages given that Plaintiff was subjected to the unbridled imagination of his mind's eye in envisioning the harm perpetrated upon him, 2017
- With an imminent trial date rapidly approaching, Paul obtained an $800,000 settlement on behalf a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather., 2017
- Lead counsel in obtaining a $2.95 million settlement in a motorcycle versus automobile accident in San Luis Obispo County (Womack v. Carroll). Procured a large, confidential settlement in a complex products liability action involving the wrongful death of a 28-year-old ironworker. (Patterson v. Allied) Obtained a $200,000 settlement in a medical malpractice case filed in San Mateo County (Jane Doe v. Doe Urgent Care Facility). Secured a $200,000 settlement in a premises liability case in Marin County (Tyson v. Miller). Obtained a confidential six-figure settlement in a wrongdul death Kaiser arbitration (Confidential Daughters v. Kaiser).Obtained a confidential six-figure settlement against an international software company for fraud and breach of contract (Confidential v. Confidential)., 2010
- In 2013, Paul obtained what is believed to be only the second Plaintiff's verdict in a personal injury case in a particular rural county over the last nine years. Prior to trial, the Defendant offer a paltry sum and repeatedly told the Plaintiffs that the jury would return a defense verdict. The Plaintiff's verdict rendered eclipsed the CCP 998 Offer to Compromise served by Plaintiffs prior to trial. Accordingly, Plaintiffs were also able to recover expert witness fees and costs in additional to those awarded to a prevailing party. , 2013
- Paul obtained a $1,120,000 settlement a mere couple of days before the commencement of trial in a vigorously defended motor vehicle negligence and dangerous condition of public property case. The case arose out of the tragic wrongful death of a 12-year-old girl who was riding her bicycle home from school at the time she was struck by a SUV. The traffic collision report concluded that the bicyclist was primarily at fault in the collision. After conducting a substantial amount of discovery, Paul and his team of forensic experts were able to conclusively prove that the traffic collision report was erroneous and that the negligence of the SUV driver combined with the dangerous condition of the roadway led to the collision. , 2014
- Paul recently obtained a confidential high six-figure wrongful death settlement in a medical malpractice case stemming from the untimely death of a 21-year-old SJSU graduate. This complex case was vigorously defended and involved four discrete defendants. , 2015
- Paul obtained a MICRA-limit maximum value settlement on behalf of the family of young man who died following a misdiagnosis of an emergent cardiovascular event by physicians at a local emergency room., 2017
- Mr. Matiasic secured a $250,000 settlement for his client on the eve of trial in a motor vehiucle case involving an accident on Highway 10 in Southern California. Defendant mounted a strong defense and argued that Plaintiff received no treatment at the scene of the accident and first sought medical attention for his maladies several weeks later upon his return home to Utah., 2011
- Paul successfully represented a 21-year-old SCU student who was injured at the hands of a high school friend during a chace encounter while visiting friends in Chico. The confidential six-figure settlement was obtained on the brink of trial., 2013
- Paul obtained a settlement worth north of $2,000,000 on the third day after the scheduled beginning of a trial involving the sexual abuse of a student at the hands of her elementary school teacher. The school district Defendant denied liability on the basis that it did not have the requisite actual knowledge of the teacher's propensity to engage in abuse and argued that the abuse Plaintiff suffered was relative minor in nature. Paul was able to prove that the school district had actual knowledge of the teacher's propensities to engage in abuse and that the abuse Plaintiff suffered was much more substantial than admitted to by the district., 2014
- On the eve of trial, Paul obtained what is believed to be the largest settlement ever for a 99-year-old personal injury Plaintiff. This premises liability case arose out of a malfunctioning automatic door which knocked the Plaintiff down, resulting in serious orthopaedic injuries.The case resulted in a substantial six-figure settlement., 2017
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, 2021
- Consumer Attorneys of California Vice President, 2022
- American Bar Association Advisory Committee
- American Association for Justice
- Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Consumer Attorneys of California
- American Bar Association
- St. Thomas More Society
- Member, State Bar of California
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
- Italian American Lawyers Association
Industry Groups:
- American Bar Association
- Consumer Attorneys Of California
- Executive Committee
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
- St. Thomas More Society Of San Francisco
Office location for Paul A. Matiasic
4 Embarcadero Center
Suite 1400
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-675-1089
Selections
10 Years Super Lawyers
3 Years Rising Stars
- Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2023
- Rising Stars: 2011 - 2013
