Founder, Attorney
Matt Wetherington
Matt Wetherington founded Wetherington Law Firm, a Georgia personal injury firm voted the state’s best by fellow attorneys in 2022 and 2023. His work has led to some of the largest verdicts in Georgia, nationwide product recalls, and bipartisan public-safety laws.
Matt has tried cases in ten states and won verdicts that rank among Georgia’s largest. He is also a founding member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Special Committee on AI & Emerging Technology, helping shape how lawyers use AI in practice. His firm is a member of the Fulton County Daily Report’s Law Firm Hall of Fame.
A likeable plaintiff and an excellent plaintiff's attorney are a dangerous combination in any venue.
Biography
Matt Wetherington grew up in Climax, Georgia, a town of about 300 near the Florida line. The first in his family to graduate from college, he worked his way through Mercer University and later earned his law degree there on a scholarship.
At 25, Matt helped try a six-week child-abuse case that ended in a $24.8 million verdict and led the hospital to create a dedicated abuse-screening team. By 29, the Daily Report had named him to its “On the Rise” list. One year later, Matt secured one of the largest auto-wreck verdicts in Georgia history, earning a place in the ALM Verdicts Hall of Fame.
In 2019, he founded Wetherington Law Firm. The Daily Report profiled its launch under the headline “Taking on Causes, Not Cases”—a phrase that became the firm’s motto.
Matt handles life-changing cases involving dangerous products, sexual assault, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and class actions. He has successfully litigated against vastly different corporate giants like Ford, Walmart, McDonald’s, Google, and State Farm.
Legal Practice and Results
Matt's cases tend to change how an industry operates, not only what a defendant pays. Many of the firm's recoveries are confidential. These are representative.
$25M Vehicle booting class actions
Recovered across class actions against nearly every booting company in Georgia; more than 100,000 people compensated across seven states, and Georgia's first statewide booting law in 2025
The booting companies appealed all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court, resulting in a ruling that there is no "common law" right to boot vehicles. RCC Wesley Chapel Crossing, LLC v. Allen, 313 Ga. 69 (2021). The booting reform law was built on this holding.
- $24.8MMedical malpractice verdict, Fayetteville NCHospital system created a dedicated child-abuse screening team
- $12MMotorcycle wreck verdictRanks among the largest motorcycle verdicts in the state
- $8.5MMotorcycle wreck verdict, Floyd CountyHighest civil verdict in that judicial circuit's history
- $7MKratom poisoning settlement, AtlantaPreceded his advocacy for House Bill 181 at the Georgia Capitol
- $3MRecalled tire settlement, Ford Explorer on I-85The recall covered 23 million tires; the case led Matt to found the Tire Safety Group
More results and recognitions
ALM Verdicts Hall of Fame at 30. Super Lawyer in Personal Injury and Products Liability. Dozens of jury trials across ten states. Further recoveries include two $9 million defective tire settlements, one for a broken hip and one a wrongful death; $7 million for a tractor-trailer collision causing spinal fusion; $6 million against a tire manufacturer; $4 million for a sexual assault at a commercial property; $2.8 million for a Fulton County rollover; $1.5 million against Allstate; and $1.1 million for a nursing home's failure to monitor a fall-risk patient.
Legislative and Policy Work
2017 Legislative advocacy
Senate Bill 198 and the Live-Check Ban
Finance companies mailed unsolicited checks to Georgia households, and cashing one opened a high-interest loan under the Georgia Industrial Loan Act. Matt took the case of a retired Henry County couple for free after a check for about $700 turned into a loan at 53 percent, and brought what he found to the state Senate. He worked to introduce a bipartisan bill to prohibit live checks.
2018 Local ordinance campaign
Pressing Atlanta to Ban Booting
Private companies boot cars in Georgia parking lots and charge drivers to release them. Matt argued the practice should be abolished, not managed. In 2018 he spoke three times before the Atlanta City Council and its public safety committee. Once, he appeared with a client who had been shot in the thigh after confronting the man who booted his car. That December the council passed a reform ordinance instead. It capped the release fee at $75 a day. Matt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution it was window dressing. He then wrote to city halls across Georgia and published model ordinance language. In September 2019, Conyers banned booting outright.
2024 Signed May 2, 2024
Strengthening the Kratom Consumer Protection Act
After representing a family whose son died from an unregulated kratom product, Matt testified at the Georgia Capitol in support of tighter regulation. His advocacy contributed to House Bill 181, signed by Governor Kemp on May 2, 2024, which strengthened Georgia's 2019 Kratom Consumer Protection Act, raising the purchase age from 18 to 21, requiring kratom to be sold from behind the counter, mandating third-party testing, and capping 7-hydroxymitragynine content.
“When you're selling a drug next to Skittles or energy drinks, you have no means of knowing that you're dealing with something that is exponentially more dangerous than anything else on the shelf.”
Matt Wetherington, to NPR
2025 Signed into law
Georgia's first statewide vehicle booting reform law
Matt spent nearly a decade litigating against vehicle booting companies, handling what he estimates as "tens of thousands" of cases for Georgia drivers. That campaign contributed to the passage of Georgia's first statewide booting reform law in 2025, which caps removal fees, bans kickback payments to property owners, and requires prominent signage at parking lots.
2025 Legislative advocacy
Opposing Georgia's 2025 Tort Reform Bill
Senate Bill 68, Georgia's 2025 tort reform law, rewrote the rules for negligent security claims, made a plaintiff's failure to wear a seat belt admissible in evidence, limited medical damages to the amounts actually paid, and let either side split a trial into separate liability and damages phases. Governor Kemp signed it on April 21, 2025. Matt opposed the bill, and has since written on what it means for injured people and their lawyers in Insurance Journal and Legal Reader.
Technology and Innovation
Matt has taught artificial intelligence to lawyers at the profession’s largest gatherings. He has presented at both of the American Association for Justice’s national conventions, taught CLE programs for the State Bar of Georgia, and been brought in by bar associations in other states to do the same. He has also presented at ABA TECHSHOW, the American Bar Association’s national legal technology conference.
The work runs deeper than the podium. He serves on AAJ’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force and peer-reviews AI submissions for TRIAL, the association’s national magazine. In Georgia, the State Bar’s president appointed him a founding member of its Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology — the body that recommends to the Supreme Court of Georgia how the profession’s rules should account for AI. On its AI in the Courts subcommittee, he has helped draft a model standing order on AI use and survey Georgia’s courts on the technology.
He was teaching this material before most lawyers had tried it. He created and hosted “The Future of Law,” a free virtual seminar on AI in legal practice that drew more than 4,000 lawyers. His guests included Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson and consumer advocate Ralph Nader.
When courts confront AI, legal reporters call him.
Built in-house
Lil’ Trucky
Analyzes trucking accident reports and connects to federal safety databases to flag regulatory violations.
Professional Leadership and Community
Tire Safety Group — Founder
After a recalled Firestone tire case early in his career showed him how easily dangerous tires stay on the road, Matt built the Tire Safety Group — the largest searchable database of recalled tires, drawing tens of thousands of visitors a month, plus a free app that checks a tire’s recall status from the DOT code on the sidewall. An ABC News investigation highlighting the database prompted U.S. Senator Ed Markey to question NHTSA about a national tire recall lookup.
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Legal Accelerator Network — Co-founder
A one-year incubator giving business training and mentorship to attorneys launching their own firms, co-founded by Matt in 2019. Sixteen lawyers were selected for the inaugural class. The idea came from watching talented young lawyers struggle with the business side of running a firm.
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Auto Accident Survivors of Georgia — Chair
A 501(c)(3) that raises awareness about auto and tire safety, advocates for safer roads, and connects crash survivors with resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic his firm organized a legal food drive and provided pro bono services to domestic violence victims.
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Bar leadership
Leadership roles with the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, including co-chairing the New Lawyers Division Education Committee. Graduate of the Georgia Bar Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy.
Background and Recognition
Education
- J.D., Mercer University School of Law (tuition scholarship)
- B.A., Mercer University
- Mercer Law School Award for Outstanding Community Service (2010)
- Edward J. Grassman Scholarship
- CALI Excellence Award
Awards and Honors
- ALM Verdicts Hall of Fame, inducted at age 30
- Super Lawyer, Personal Injury and Products Liability
- Fulton County Daily Report “On the Rise,” 2014, at age 29
- Daily Report Top Auto Wreck Verdict, 2015
- Firm: No. 1 personal injury firm in Georgia, voted by fellow attorneys, 2022 and 2023
- Firm: Fulton County Daily Report Law Firm Hall of Fame
Professional Memberships
- State Bar of Georgia (Bar No. 339639, admitted 2010)
- Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Champion Member
- American Association for Justice
- Atlanta Bar Association
- Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG)
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
In the Media
Lawsuit Against GM for SUA
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Danger on Wheels: Feds Say Tire Recall System “Completely Broken”
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Condo owners in Midtown high rise file suit over balcony repairs
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Lawsuit Filed Against Sheraton Hotel
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Auto Accident Survivors of Georgia Story
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Representative Speeches and Publications
With Ralph Nader.
- AI in the Courts
2025 Winter Conference, Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia, Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, January 24, 2025.
- Effectively and Ethically Integrating Chat-GPT and Similar Tools Into Your Legal Practice
with Greg Siskind, ABA TECHSHOW, Law Practice Division, American Bar Association, Chicago, February 16, 2024.
- Harnessing AI in Your Practice
American Association for Justice, 2024 Winter Convention, Austin, Texas, February 12, 2024.
- Effective and Ethical Use of AI for Trial
2026 Jury Trial Seminar, General Practice and Trial Law Section, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, April 1, 2026.
- The Rise of ChatGPT: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Legal Profession
Law.com, ALM, January 30, 2023.
Show all speeches and publications
- AI Prompting for Lawyers
From Busy to Better: Hot Tips for Lawyers, Law Practice Management Advisory Committee, State Bar of Georgia, virtual, April 24, 2026.
- Practical Implications of AI and Using AI to Your Benefit as a Lawyer
with Christopher M. Simon, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, Secrets to a Successful Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Practice, October 1, 2025.
- 60 Tips, Tricks & Hacks
Panelist, Take Charge! Conference, Law Practice Management Program, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, September 18-19, 2025.
- The AI Effect: Transforming the Legal Practice of Today (and Tomorrow)
CLE panel, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas, Texas, May 21, 2025.
- AI Doomsday
Plenary session, Take Charge! Solo & Small Firm Summit, Law Practice Management Program, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, April 25, 2025.
- From Potential to Pitfalls: How AI Is Shaping the Future of Legal Practice
Justia CLE webinar, February 4, 2025.
- Exploring the Depths of SEO in Legal Marketing
LAWsome Podcast with Tanner Jones, Consultwebs, August 27, 2024.
- Artificial Intelligence: Ally or Adversary
Panelist, General Body Meeting CLE, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, virtual, July 18, 2024.
- Technology and Automation in Truck Accident Cases
Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, Truck Accident Claims, February 23, 2024.
- Law Firm SEO – A Methodology To Objectively Evaluate Online Marketing Companies
with Tanner Jones, ABA TECHSHOW, Law Practice Division, American Bar Association, Chicago, February 15, 2024.
- Introduction to Generative AI
Alabama Bar Association, 2024.
- Future of SEO: Using AI to Create Online Content and Screen Marketing Companies
Wetherington Law Firm free virtual seminar, September 21, 2023.
- Using AI Effectively in Your Firm
CaseMetrix webinar, virtual, September 7, 2023.
- Ten Ways You Can Use Chat-GPT Right Now
American Association for Justice, 2023 Annual Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2023.
- The Future of Law: A Free Virtual Seminar on ChatGPT and AI Tools
Wetherington Law Firm, June 27, 2023.
- AI Tools Other than Chat-GPT
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, 2023.
- Introduction to Chat-GPT
AIEG Spring Seminar, 2023.
- Avoiding Cracks in Your Sidewalk Slip and Fall Case
Trial Lawyer’s Voice, 2023.
- Civil Litigation & High Stakes Cases
8 Figure Attorney Podcast with Seth Bader, December 13, 2021.
- Best Practices for Identifying and Reaching the Clients You Want to Reach (Developing Your Brand in 400 Hard Steps)
Verdict Magazine, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Winter 2020.
- Getting Medical Records Cheaply Using the HITECH Act
with Sarah Quinn, AIEG Spring Seminar, 2020.
- Tire Retailer Liability Update
AIEG Spring Seminar, 2019.
- Tire Retailer Liability
Auto Products, Nashville, Tennessee, 2018.
- Specific Paralegal Tasks in Products Liability Cases
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Paralegal Seminar, 2018.
- Update on Specific and General Jurisdiction
GTLA Holiday Conference, 2018.
- Gathering Documents on the Defendant
AIEG Fall Seminar, 2018.
- Jury Selection in Personal Injury Litigation: Connecting With Today’s Jury Pool
with Jeb Butler and Darren Tobin, Strafford Publications webinar, June 21, 2017.
- How We Put a Catastrophic Injury Case on the Fast Track
“How I Obtained Justice for My Client” column, Verdict, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2017.
- Protective Orders, Information is Power
Secrets From The Vault, 2017.
- Pursuing Tire Failure Cases
Trial Advocacy, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, 2017.
- Using Geocodes for Presuit Discovery
Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, 2017.
- Locking in the Lies of a Defendant Driver
Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, 2017.
- Know the Jury BEFORE Walking Into the Courtroom
with Sherry Rosen, AIEG Voice, Summer 2016.
- Jury Selection Guide for Paralegals and Support Staff
with Sherry Rosen, Paralegal Voice, Spring 2016.
- 2014 Guide to Online Marketing for Georgia Attorneys: How Search Engine Optimization and Law Firm Branding Can Transform Your Practice
with Darren Tobin, Verdict Magazine, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Winter 2014.
- Tire Defect Cases, Product Liability, and Design Defect Cases
Matt Wetherington & Tedra Hobson, Atlanta Bar Association, Expertise in Plaintiff Personal Injury Law: Learning the Details of Key Practice Areas, January 2014.
- Recalled Tires Still Wrecking Lives
WSB-TV News, Channel 2 investigation into recalled tires offered for sale, November 2013.
- Creative Ways to Save Money and Ensure Value with Experts
Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, Expert Testimony in Georgia, October 2013.
- Online Research of Potential Jurors, A Survey of Resources and Ethical Boundaries
Verdict Magazine, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Fall 2013.
- Using Technology to Screen Product Liability Cases
Auto Products Seminar, Miami, Florida, 2013.
- Essential Elements for a Successful Focus Group
with Matt Stoddard, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, 2013.
- Closing Argument Considerations for the Plaintiff
with Michael Werner, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, Inside the Courtroom: The Trial of a Personal Injury Case, 2013.
- Tire Tips: 10 Ways to Avoid Blowing Your Tire Case
with Jeb Butler, Verdict Magazine, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Summer 2012.
- Expert Witness Considerations for the Plaintiff
with Richard Griggs, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, 20th Annual Product Liability Seminar, 2012.
- Identifying and Pursuing Repair Shop Cases
with Cale Conley, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Auto Focus, 2012.
- COVID Update for Law Firm Owners
Business of Law.
Outside the Courtroom
PRACTICE AREAS
Matt is currently accepting cases involving serious injury, wrongful death, or claims suitable for class-wide treatment.
Matt works with referring and co-counsel lawyers on catastrophic-injury, product-defect and class cases. He is particularly interested in new cases involving:
- Tire failures involving Michelin and BF Goodrich tires made in Ardmore, Oklahoma;
- Sexual assault and shootings at Apartment Complexes in the city of South Fulton;
- Fire injury and death cases involving Chrysler vehicles;
- Usurious lending by financial institutions subject to the Georgia Industrial Loan Act;
- Tire failures involving recalled Firestone Wilderness tires;
- Serious injury wrecks involving Ford Explorers or F-Series trucks;
- Financial mismanagement by housing associations and/or property management companies, especially where large assessments are made against residents; and
- Predatory vehicle booting.