Matthew W. Broughton

Matt Broughton is a Senior Partner and serves on the Executive Board for the firm. Matt heads the Plaintiff’s/Personal Injury/Subrogation practice areas at Gentry Locke. He is a licensed tractor-trailer driver, holding a commercial driver’s license (CDL) class A, is an ATP rated pilot, and holds a boat operator’s license. During his decades of experience, he has tried hundreds of complex cases in the areas of personal injury, trucking accidents, business disputes, worker’s compensation, and aviation law, many involving millions of dollars. Matt is consistently noted among the Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury and Products Liability litigation. He is also regularly recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyer in General Personal Injury litigation representing plaintiffs. Matt has handled cases throughout the United States and recently resolved (with the assistance of associated counsel) over $20 million in Personal Injury cases for deserving clients. Matt is frequently called upon to handle cases throughout Virginia as well as other states.

A quick handshake

•What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working with clients?

Spending time with my wife and two daughters, traveling around the world, experiencing new cultures and people, playing the guitar, and singing songs.

•People would be surprised to know...

I have logged more than 5,000 hours as a pilot and have flown all over the world. My favorite place to fly is Australia. Although I fly everything from gliders to jets, I most frequently fly twin engine pressurized airplanes. I love taking my colleagues and family with me! I also like to wake surf because it is so fun and relaxing. It takes your complete focus. Before I started wake surfing I was a motocross rider.

•What is your favorite thing about your job? What motivates you?

I absolutely love helping people and solving their problems - the more complex, the better. I want people to know that they can depend on us to take care of their toughest issues.

•Matt’s life lesson:

All problems can be solved with patience and hard work.

Special Licenses

•Pilot - ATP Rated Pilot with over 5,000 flight hours in airplanes ranging from Gliders to Jets
•Tractor Trailer Driver - Licensed Tractor-Trailer Driver, holding Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with experience driving on interstates, highways, byways, and rural routes
•Boat Operator’s License - owned and operated boats for over 40 years

Experience

•$112.5 million settlement in False Claims Act whistleblower case involving research fraud
•$75 million settlement in environmental case (coal mining related)
•$14 million settlement in a products liability accident that caused brain injury and blindness
•$12.5 million settlement in a truck crash case
•$8.5 million settlement in medical malpractice cases in 2024-2025
•$8 million settlement in products liability case involving scalp degloving injuries and brain injury
•$7.75 million settlement in a truck crash case involving broken bones and head injury
•$5.5 million settlement in brain injury/trucking case against a loading facility
•$5 million verdict in premises liability case involving worker falling down 20’ shaft
•$5 million settlement in a legal malpractice case involving attorney’s failure to honor Virginia workers’ compensation liens
•$4.5 million settlement against responsible parties for product (wash down nozzle) improperly manufactured in China which failed under standard pressure, causing brain and facial injuries
•$4.25 million settlement against hazardous material hauler doing illegal U-turn, causing brain injury and horrific orthopedic injuries
•$4 million for brain injured Plaintiff injured in bus accident case in Australia
•$4 million settlement for a boating death case
•$3.5 million trucking case with a back/head injury - un-loading tractor trailer
•$3.5 million settlement in airplane crash case involving death of a passenger
•$3.4 million in expected attendant care benefits for double amputee
•$3 million in expected attendant care benefits for brain injured/blind worker
•$2.45 million settlement in motorcycle accident case involving facial injuries caused by improper tire assembly
•$1.6 million settlement in Truck accident case involving orthopedic injuries
•$1.6 million verdict in complex business litigation case caused by key EE’s abuse of confidential client information
•$1.38 million verdict in rear end collision by a truck resulting in Brain injury
•$1.2 million verdict in federal court truck accident case involving fractured spine
•$1.2 million settlement in automobile crash involving brain injury and leading to appointment of guardian and conservator
•$1 million for negligently manufactured auger resulting in amputation
•$1 million settlement against responsible parties for product manufacturing case
•$1 million for ski accident case resulting in quadriplegia
•$975,000 settlement for mechanic’s brain injury in automobile accident case
•$840,000 settlement for Tractor Trailer crash case resulting in Mild Traumatic Brain injury
•$750,000 verdict in assault and battery case
•$700,000 for injured worker in products liability case involving truck lift gate which fractured lower extremity
•$500,000 settlement in traumatic brain injury case
•Resolved multiple brain injury cases for $1 million or more
•Involved in hundreds of cases involving tractor trailer crashes
•Multiple cases tried and settled for amounts below $1 million, involving airplane crashes, medical negligence, car accidents, truck accidents, products liability and commercial matters
•Many years of experience handling complex business transactions
•Represented multiple companies in buying, selling and changing the ownership status of their businesses
•Over 25 years of experiencing handling workers’ compensation cases throughout Virginia and subrogation cases arising from such injuries
•Confidential amount in a sexual assault case of a minor
•Multiple aviation related cases to include assisting parties in purchase and documentation of entities to hold aircraft; Represented pilots in enforcement actions prosecuted by FAA

Whistleblower/Qui Tam

•Served as lead counsel on one of the world’s most high-profile research fraud cases
•Speaker at the 5th World Conference on Research Integrity in Amsterdam, “The Parallel Tracks of Legal Accountability for Research Misconduct in the United States” (Symposium Session 12; 2017)
•Participant in 4th World Conference on Research Integrity in Rio de Janeiro (2015)

Workers’ Compensation

•Tried over 1,000 workers’ compensation cases and rated as one of the Best Lawyers in America for Worker’s Compensation (1997-2002)
•Extensive knowledge of statutory and case law of workers’ compensation gained over the 30 years

Awards

•Named a “Best Lawyer in America” for over 25 consecutive years in plaintiffs for Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation (1997-2026)
•Named one of only thirty “Leaders in the Law” statewide, and the sole Roanoke-based recipient, by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2013)
•Named to Virginia Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General Plaintiff Litigation (2010-2025), and Business Litigation (2008)
•Named a Top Rated Lawyer for Litigation & Civil law by American Lawyer Media (2013)
•“Largest Verdicts in Virginia” designation (2006) as recognized by Virginia Lawyers Weekly
•Designated as one of the Legal Elite in the Civil Litigation field by Virginia Business magazine (2003-2006, 2019)
•Named “2012 Roanoke Product Liability Litigation Lawyer of the Year” and Best Lawyers in America Business Edition for Plaintiffs (2016), Best Lawyers in America for Workers Compensation Law (1997-2002)
•Named a “Legal Eagle” for Product Liability Litigation by Virginia Living magazine (2012)
•1998 “Boss of the Year” Award, Roanoke Valley Legal Secretaries Association
•“Attorney of the Year” Award from a top retail client (2001)

Published Work

•Co-author, They All Fall Down: An Overview of the Law on Deck and Balcony Collapses; “Virginia Lawyer,” the official publication of the Virginia State Bar, Volume 65/Number 4 (December 2016).
•Co-author, The Law of Damages in Virginia, Chapter 11, Punitive Damages (2nd ed. 2008).

Case Studies

The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.
•Aug 25, 2020 - $8,000,000 awarded in Products Liability Case
•Apr 23, 2013 - Blinded Employee Agrees to $14 Million-dollar Settlement ($16.5M Payout)
•Apr 17, 2013 - Settlement for Medical Malpractice Injury
•May 29, 2012 - Settlement Approved for Girl Hit by Car

Library

•Gentry Locke Partner Matt W. Broughton Inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation Fellows Class of 2026
News
Jan 2026
•Passenger Rights in Virginia: How Injured Passengers Can Recover After a Car Accident
Articles
Oct 2025
•31 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers 2026 Lists
News
Aug 2025
•20 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Virginia Super Lawyers Lists
News
May 2025
•Your Legal Duty to Remove Snow and Ice from Vehicles
Articles
Feb 2025
•Gentry Locke Attorneys Announces Executive Board Leadership for 2025
News
Feb 2025
•D.C. Plane Crash: What Legal Remedies May Be Available?
Articles
Feb 2025
•Why Victims of Airplane Crashes Should Seek Guidance from a Licensed Pilot/Lawyer
Articles
Jan 2025
•Workers' Compensation and Negligence Cases
Articles
Jan 2025
•Virginia Lawyers Weekly Names Gentry Locke Partner Matthew W. Broughton a 2024 Go To Lawyer for Negligence Law (Complex Personal Injury Law)
News
Nov 2024
•How to Investigate Truck/Car Accidents
Articles
Oct 2024
•Tractor Trailer Accidents on I-81, I-95 and Other Interstates Involving Cars, Buses and Motorcycles
Articles
Sep 2024
•35 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers 2025 Lists
News
Aug 2024
•Virginia Auto Insurance Changes: Why Almost Every Car Accident Case Will Soon Involve at Least $100,000 in Insurance Coverage
Articles
Jul 2024
•What to Do After a Tractor-Trailer Crash
Articles
May 2024
•18 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Virginia Super Lawyers Lists
News
Apr 2024
•They Grow Up Too Soon: Don’t Let Time Expire on Your Child’s Medical Malpractice Claim
Articles
Mar 2024
•How to Choose The Right Virginia Truck Accident Attorney for Your Case
Articles
Nov 2023
•Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Recent Changes to Virginia Law & Why You Should Renew Your Insurance Coverage NOW!
Articles
Aug 2023
•30 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers 2024 Lists
News
Aug 2023
•17 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in 2023 Virginia Super Lawyers Lists
News
Apr 2023
•You’ve got it covered, right? Gentry Locke Partner Matt Broughton Discusses Insurance Policies, Coverage, and Umbrellas
Articles
Jun 2022
•Super Lawyers 2022 Recognizes 17 Gentry Locke Lawyers
News
May 2022
•2023 Gentry Locke Seminars
Events
May 2022
•2022 Gentry Locke Seminar
Events
Apr 2022
•Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Recognizes 18 Lawyers on 2021 Lists
News
May 2021
•$8,000,000 awarded in Products Liability Case The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.
Case Studies
Aug 2020
•22 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2021
News
Aug 2020
•20 Gentry Locke Lawyers Named as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
News
Apr 2020
•Gentry Locke Announces 2020 Management Committee
News
Jan 2020
•Gentry Locke Launches Crucial Web Page on Traumatic Brain Injuries
News
Jan 2020
•21 Gentry Locke Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America
News
Aug 2019
•Gentry Locke announces 2019 Management Committee
News
May 2019
•25 Gentry Locke attorneys named 2019 Virginia Super Lawyers or Rising Stars
News
Apr 2019
•Gentry Locke Announces $112.5 Million Settlement in Landmark FCA case against Duke University
News
Apr 2019
•Virginia Workers’ Compensation Fee Schedule: Prompt Payment Traps for the Unwary
Articles
Mar 2019
•20 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to 2019 'Best Lawyers in America '
News
Aug 2018
•27 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named 2018 Virginia Super Lawyers or Rising Stars
News
Apr 2018
•Lawsuit over sale of impounded auto reaches settlement, is in the news
News
Mar 2018
•Legal Malpractice case now included on 'Million-Dollar Settlements of 2017' list by Virginia Lawyers Weekly
News
Mar 2018
•21 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to 2018 Best Lawyers in America
News
Aug 2017
•28 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named 2017 Virginia Super Lawyers or Rising Stars
News
Apr 2017
•Twenty-Two Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to 'The Best Lawyers in America'
News
Oct 2016
•Rights of Deck and Balcony Collapse Victims in Virginia
Articles
May 2016
•Twenty-six Gentry Locke Attorneys Named '2016 Virginia Super Lawyers'
News
Apr 2016
•Fourteen Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to “Best Lawyers in America Business Edition/Winter 2016” by Best Lawyers
News
Jan 2016
•23 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to 2016 “Best Lawyers in America”
News
Aug 2015
•28 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named 2015 Virginia Super Lawyers
News
Apr 2015
•Twenty-One Gentry Locke Attorneys Earn Best Lawyers Designations and One Lawyer of the Year
News
Aug 2014
•27 Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to Lists of 2014 Virginia Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
News
Jun 2014
•What To Do When Someone Hurts You, Your Family or Business
Articles
Apr 2014
•Twenty-two Attorneys named to 2014 Best Lawyers in America list; Firm Ranked in Tier 1 for Best Law Firms
News
Aug 2013
•Twenty-five Gentry Locke Attorneys Named to 'Virginia Super Lawyers' for 2013
News
Jun 2013
•Matt Broughton Featured in Annual Issue of Ferrum Alumni Magazine
News
May 2013
•Blinded Employee Agrees to $14 Million-dollar Settlement ($16.5M Payout) The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.
Case Studies
Apr 2013
•Settlement for Medical Malpractice Injury The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.
Case Studies
Apr 2013
•Gentry Locke Attorneys Uncover Billing Discrepancy in Meningitis Cases, File $25-Million Lawsuit
News
Dec 2012
•Fungal Meningitis/Tainted Injection Update - in the news
News
Dec 2012