“When you are representing everyday people against some of the most powerful corporations in the world, everyone's going to doubt you. Everyone's going to say it's impossible,” says Matt Nakajima. “You're not always going to win. But you have to have that gumption to not give up in the face of doubt.”
As partner and trial lawyer at personal injury law firm Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima (RRN) in Lebanon, Ohio, Matt is no stranger to facing doubt. For better or worse, it’s been his greatest motivator.
For example, when Matt wanted to pursue college, he was told his dyslexia would get in the way. Or, when he wanted to quit his job selling cell phones at the mall to pursue law school, he was told he wasn’t smart enough. Or, when he was rejected from several law schools.
At every turn, Matt overcame the odds others had placed on him – but his obstacles didn’t end there. Matt went on to attend the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, and after landing at one of the biggest defense law firms in Ohio, Matt experienced what he describes as his biggest adversity to-date: being prevented from taking the bar exam.
“I remember getting a letter in the mail two days before the exam saying I couldn’t take it and I didn’t know why,” Matt recalls.
After telling the managing partner the news, he lost that job. Still holding on to hope, Matt crossed paths with two local trial lawyers – Bob Sanders and Mark Schumacher – who not only believed Matt was being unfairly excluded from the exam, but fought for him, too. The team ended up taking Matt’s case to the Columbus Supreme Court where the decision was overturned so he could finally be licensed in Ohio.
“From that moment on, I wanted to dedicate my life to helping other people,” says Matt. “Because at one time in my life, I needed a champion. I needed someone to fight for me. And those trial lawyers were my champions.”
Seeing the Good in Humanity
At RRN, Matt mainly focuses on personal injury, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Often, his work allows him to represent countless underdogs who may otherwise not receive the legal help they need.
“Every aspect of my life was built on someone else giving me a chance,” says Matt. “I want to be a voice for the voiceless because I [too] needed help throughout my life.”
The adversity Matt faced throughout his life, and subsequently the people who’ve helped him, are the reasons why he continues to see the good in humanity.
Specifically, Matt recalls a 2018 case where his client suffered a significant shoulder injury as a result of a car crash. While the accident left no visible property damage to his client’s vehicle, he ended up with a torn rotator cuff – an injury unbeknownst to him until he visited urgent care days later.
“He was a tough guy [in his late 30s], a landscaper, a guy who works with his hands. He prided himself on the fact that he would tough it out and get better,” explained Matt.
Eventually, his client needed four separate shoulder surgeries to correct the injury. Yet, his insurance company’s top offer was only $20,000 due to a clerical error on the urgent care paperwork that documented his pain in the opposite shoulder. Matt and his client refused the offer, opting for a jury trial in Campbell County,Kentucky instead.
“[Other trial lawyers] told me that this was one of the most conservative places in all of America – that you can’t get millions of dollars for a shoulder tear case – and that the top value was $100,000,” said Matt.
And again, beating the odds as he often does, Matt, his co-counsel and client walked away with a $1,028,317 verdict – one of the largest for a non-death case in the history of Campbell County.
Looking back, Matt associates this success to rallying around his client and his family when they needed it most.
“We believed in the case. We got to know him. We got to know his family and his small children,” Matt said. “I got to see the real impact that these shoulder tears – even after surgery – had on his quality of life, like his ability to hold his kids.”
Explore More Stories of Social Justice
Discover Matt Nakajima’s full story, the brave cases he’s tried and how overcoming self-doubt made him the best advocate he could be. Learn about other trial lawyers stories of advocating to attain justice and client success.
