Matthew D. Barrett, P.C.
1730 E Market St
Logansport, IN 46947
(574) 753-3300 www.barrettlaw-office.com
Areas Of Practice Automobile Accidents Semi-Truck Accidents Wrongful Death Motorcycle Accidents Moped Accidents Dog Bites Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries Construction Injuries Pedestrian Accidents Bus Crashes Three-Wheeler, Four Wheeler and ATV Accidents Airplane/Boat/Train Crashes Birth Injuries Nursing Home Injuries Pharmacy Mistakes Burns/Fires/Explosions Dismemberment Slip and Fall Drowning School and Playground Injuries Sex Abuse at School/Daycare Daycare Injuries Defective Products Civil Rights/Police Misconduct Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Claims Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Felonies Misdemeanors Drunk Driving/OWI/DUI Minor Consumption Driving While Suspended/Without a License Marijuana/All Other Drug Offenses Battery Domestic Battery Criminal Confinement Disorderly Conduct Robbery Theft Sex Crimes Trespass Arson Firearm Offenses Forgery Fraud Homicide – Murder/Manslaughter Habitual Traffic Violator Traffic Offenses Bond Reduction
Bar Admissions Indiana, 2003 U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 2003 U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 2003 U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, 2004 U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2003 U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2005 U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
Education Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana J.D. - 2002 Honors: Special Commendation for Pro Bono Externship Honors: Honor Papers in Pretrial Skills and Advanced Appellate Advocacy Indiana University - Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana B.A. - 1998 Honors: Dean's List (4 Semesters) Major: English Literature Minor: History
Published Works "Failing to Provide Police Protection: Breeding a Viable and Consistent 'State-Created Danger' Analysis for Establishing Constitutional Violations Under Section 1983", 37 Valparaiso University Law Review 1, Fall, 2002 "Preparing Your Client for Deposition Testimony", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, July/August, 2005 "How to Deal With an Objection of Privilege Based on Indiana's Peer Review Statute During the Course of Pre-Trial Discovery", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2005 "And Just Where Do You Think You're Going?": Police Detention of Passenger Who Walks Away From Vehicle During Traffic Stop, Res Gestae, March, 2006 "Indiana's New 'Communication of Sympathy' Statute: Saying 'I'm Sorry' In the Context of Medical Malpractice and Other Personal Injury Accidents", Indiana Lawyer, (Vol. 17, No. 8) June/July, 2006 "Groundless Cases Still Get Into Court", Indiana Lawyer (Featured Interview), (Vol. 17, No. 10) July/August, 2006 "A Brief Review of What Types of Claims Fall Within and Outside the Scope of Indiana's Medical Malpractice Act", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2006 "A Modest Proposal: Submitting a Joint Discovery Plan In Federal Court", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, September, 2006 "Waiver of Right Forms Under Miranda: Not a Ritual of Words to be Recited by Rote According to Didactic Niceties", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XI, No. 1, December, 2006 "Recovering Damages for Tortious Injury to Historic Buildings and Other 'Special Purpose' Property In Indiana: Drawing the Line Between Fair Market Value and Cost Repair' In Cases of Permanent Damage", Res Gestae, December, 2006 "A Case of Bad Breath: Does the Odor of an Alcoholic Beverage, By Itself, Establish Probable Cause for a Police Officer to Offer Chemical Test In the Context of DWI Offenses?", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XII, No. 1, May, 2007 "Supreme Court Clarifies Five Exceptions to Nonliability Involving Personal Injury Claims Asserted by a Contractor's Employee", Indiana Civil Litigation Review (publication of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana), Vol. 3, No. 2, May, 2007 "Brendlin v. California: Supreme Court Holds That a Passenger Is "Seized" for Fourth Amendment Purposes and Can Challenge Legality of a Traffic Stop", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XII, No. 2, October, 2007 "The Attorney Commitment In Traumatic Brain Injury Cases", American Bar Association - The Young Lawyer, November, 2007 "Federal Preemption of State Law Claims Involving Class III Medical Devices", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Trial Journal, Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter, 2007 "Calm the Child Witness", TRIAL, Journal of the American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association), February, 2008 "Coughing It Up: Indiana Supreme Court Holds That Police Chokeholds Are Unreasonable Searches and Seizures", Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Vol. XIII, No. 1, February, 2008 "Reducing the State's Cut: Amending Indiana's Split-Award Statute In Punitive Damage Cases", The Indiana Litigator, Newsletter of the Litigation Section, Indiana State Bar Association, Summer, 2008 "Representing Children In Cases Involving Wrongful Death of a Parent", Res Gestae, July/August, 2008 "Estoppel to Extend Insurance Coverage Based on Bad Faith", Indiana Civil Litigation Review (publication of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana), Vol 5., No. 2, November, 2008 "Holding a Surgeon Liable for Medical Negligence of Another Under the 'Captain-of-the Ship' Doctrine", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2010 "Recovery for Separate Acts of Negligence Under Indiana Medical Malpractice Act", Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, VERDICT, 2011
Representative Cases Richard v. State, 820 N.E.2d 749, 2005, Ind. Ct. App. Masick v. McColly Realtors, Inc. and Saxon Drywall, 858 N.E.2d 682, 2006, Ind. Ct. App. Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2006 WL 299064, 2006, N.D. Ind. Ryan-Louie v. DeFazio, 2007 WL 433067, 2007, N.D. Ind. Wheeler v. Lawson, 2007 WL 844870, 2007, N.D. Ind. Walker v. Martin, et al., 862 N.E.2d 330, 2007, Ind. Ct. App. Beatty v. Martin, et al., 868 N.E.2d 73, 2007, Ind. Ct. App. Bob Anderson Pontiac d/b/a Mike Anderson Chevrolet of Merrillville, Inc. v. Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 867 N.E.2d 282, 2007, Ind. Ct. App. Cincinnati Insurance Co. v. Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., et al., 2007 WL 2609829, 2007, N.D. Ind. Putman v. Lima Auto Mall, Inc., 2008 WL 2444677, 2008, N.D. Ind. Wheeler v. Lawson, 539 F.3d 629, 2008, 7th Cir. Hunt v. State, 902 N.E.2d 911, 2009, Ind. Ct. App. Hartoin v. State, 908 N.E.2d 711, 2009, Ind. Ct. App. Robinson v. State, 910 N.E.2d 270, 2009, Ind. Ct. App. Miller v. State, 916 N.E.2d 193, 2009, Ind. Ct. App. Bell v. State, 915 N.E.2d 1048, 2009, Ind. Ct. App. Holmes v. State, 923 N.E.2d 479, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Van Orden v. State, 924 N.E.2d 226, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Miller v. State, 924 N.E.2d 680, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Patterson v. State, 926 N.E.2d 90, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Skinner v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company d/b/a Metlife, 2010 WL 2175834, 2010, N.D. Ind. State ex rel. Berkshire v. City of Logansport, 928 N.E.2d 587, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Snowberger v. State, 938 N.E.2d 294, 2010, Ind. Ct. App. Fording v. State, 941 N.E.2d 565, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Rush v. State, 941 N.E.2d 569, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Ogle v. State, 943 N.E.2d 445, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Vazquez v. State, 944 N.E.2d 10, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Miller v. State, 944 N.E.2d 578 , 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Crowder v. State, 945 N.E.2d 829, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Justice v. State, 946 N.E.2d 93, 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Downs v. State, 950 N.E.2d 376 , 2011, Ind. Ct. App. Patton v. State, , 972 N.E.2d 418 , 2012, Ind. Ct. App. Barrett v. City of Logansport, et al., 961 N.E.2d 70 , 2012, Ind. Ct. App. Mateo v. State, 974 N.E.2d 602, 2012, Ind. Ct. App. State v. Gonzalez-Vazquez, 984 N.E.2d 704 , 2013, Ind. Ct. App Lewis v. New Prime Inc, No. 1:10-cv-1228-WSD , 2013, N.D. Ga. – Atlanta Div. Phillips v. Mills, 42 N.E.3d 174, 2015, Ind. Ct. App. Vance v. Phillips, 42 N.E.3d 174, 2015, Ind. Ct. App. Torres-Reynoso v. State, 42 N.E.3d 586, 2015, Ind. Ct. App.
Classes/Seminars Featured Speaker, "Civil Rights and DWI", Crown Point, Indiana, 2004 to 2004 Lecturer, Topics In Medical Malpractice Law, Health Careers Exploration Class, Century Career Center, Logansport High School, 2006 to 2006
Honors and Awards Honors Paper in Pretrial Skills, Criminal Pleadings and Advanced Appellate Advocacy Ranked upper 1/3 in Legal Writing and Research Special Commendation for 41 hours of Pro Bono Externship Harrison Legal Writing Award (First-Place Recipient) Harrison Legal Writing Award (Second-Place Recipient) Award, Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America Award, “Top 10 Under 40” in Indiana, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys
Professional Associations and Memberships Cass County Bar Association, Member Indiana State Bar Association, Member Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Member American Association of Justice, Member The National Trial Lawyers, Member Brain Injury Association of Indiana, Member Civil Justice Foundation, Member Open Court, Newsletter of the Criminal Justice Section - Indiana State Bar Association, Editor, 2007 to 2008 Logansport-Cass County Chamber of Commerce, Member Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member Elite Lawyers of America, Life Member National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, Member Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America, Member Cass Circuit Court, Judge, pro tempore, 2009
Pro Bono Activities Participant, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2005 to 2005 Judge, Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, Literacy Volunteers of Cass County, 2006 to 2006 Chief Organizer and Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2006 to 2006 Member, Cass County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, 2008 to 2008 Volunteer, Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser, 2008 to 2008 Tour Guide, Law Day at Cass County Courthouse, 2008 to 2008 Board of Directors, Cass County Historical Society, 2010 to 2011 Founder, Indiana State Trooper Daniel R. Barrett Memorial Scholarship