ATTORNEY | SOUTH CAROLINA INJURY LAWYER
I handle workers’ compensation cases for injured workers. I’m the head of the Workers’ Compensation Department. I’ll take any case that falls under the state Workers’ Compensation Act.
In this profession, there can be a lot of churning of people, where they end up as just a number. That is not the case with Joye Law Firm. By way of example, I had a case that just resolved where I sent my client out for a medical evaluation. The guy who examines her comes back and says, “Well, she could have x surgery.” But her treating doctor, who I know is good, says, “She could have that surgery, but it could be horrific in terms of the outcome. I wouldn’t do it.” A lot of lawyers would push her into that because the case would be worth more. But I said to her, “If you were my mother, I would tell you to not do the surgery, and here’s why….”
You can make a good living by doing the right thing in every case and every situation. And that’s the way I approach my law practice.
What inspired you to become an attorney?
My compassion for others and my empathy!
Tell us about your practice
My goal at the first meeting with clients is to try and ease their minds. When they come in, they are usually very scared. They are dealing with the unknown, and the unknown causes fear in anybody. I can’t take that fear away, but I try to answer all their questions. Then I tell them, “You’ve been carrying around a bag of bricks, and those bricks are basically stress. Set those things down at my door when you walk out of here. Leave them here for me to deal with.”
I want clients to know and feel comfortable that I’m going to take care of them. I always make two promises: 1) I’ll work hard for you and 2) I’ll always tell you the truth.
Instead of being the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain, I do as much as I can so that clients say to themselves, “I can really see that this guy cares about me, and really cares where I go with my case.”
What Have You Learned from this Profession?
The best lesson I’ve learned from clients is that there are certain things in life that you can control. If you’re spending your time worrying about things that are out of your control, you’re wasting your time. You should focus your efforts on what you can control, and your time will be better spent.
Matthew W. Jackson, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, has lived in Charleston since he was 14 years old. Matt graduated from the College of Charleston in 1998. He received his law degree in 2002 from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
After passing the bar, Matt joined the Joye Law Firm and focused his practice on workers’ compensation law. He currently serves as the Head of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Department.
Since 2003, Matt has held memberships in the South Carolina Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. He has been a member of the Workers Law and Advocacy Group from 2016 to the present.
Matt has also been a member of the Injured Workers’ Advocates from 2013 to the present. He has served as President and Vice President of that organization and has been on its Executive Committee since 2013.
Matt has been recognized by Best Lawyers from 2017 to the present. He has enjoyed a 10.0 Avvo rating from 2017 to the present and has received that organization’s Client’s Choice Award every year since 2015.
Honors & Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2017 – Present
Client’s Choice Award, Avvo, 2015 – Present
10.0 Avvo Rating, 2017 – present
Recognized by Best Lawyers for Workers’ Comp in Charleston
Associations & Memberships
Immediate Past President, Injured Workers’ Advocates, 2019
Vice President, Injured Workers’ Advocates, 2016
Executive Committee, Injured Workers’ Advocates, 2013 – Present
Member, Workers Law and Advocacy Group, 2016 – Present
Member, American Association for Justice, 2003 – Present
Member, South Carolina Association for Justice, 2003 – Present
Member, South Carolina Bar Association, 2003 – Present
Publications
Mock Trial – Claimant’s Attorney Perspective, Comp In Action: Take Two. Minor Mistakes = Major Expenses, 2015
Mock Trial – Claimant’s Attorney, South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association Seminar, 2014
Workers’ Compensation, Injured Workers’ Advocates Seminar, 2014
The Provider’s Role in Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment & Beyond , 37th Annual Education
Speaker, Conference on Workers’ Compensation, 2013
Workers’ Compensation Issues, Atlantic Coast Labor Management Conference, 2013
Form 21’s Life in the Fast Lanes, Injured Workers’ Advocates Paralegal & Legal Assistant Seminar, 2012
Workers’ Comp Academy , 36th Annual Education Conference on Workers’ Compensation, 2012
Family Medical Leave Act Overview, Atlantic Coast Labor Management Conference, 2012
Coordinating the Pursuit of a Workers’ Compensation/Third Party Claim, South Carolina Association for Justice Convention, 2009
Mock Trial – Claimant’s Attorney, Injured Workers’ Advocates Paralegal & Legal Assistant Seminar, 2008
Mock Trial – Claimant’s Attorney 31st Annual Educational Conference on Workers’ Compensation, 2007
Education
College of Charleston, B.A., 1998
Charleston School of Law, J.D., 2002
