Norlina Workers' Compensation Lawyers

Managing partner Benjamin T. Cochran oversees the operation of Hardison & Cochran Attorneys at Law in addition to representing individual clients in cases involving workers’ compensation and personal injury law.

A lifelong North Carolinian, Cochran knew from his high-school days in High Point that he wanted to be an attorney. He received a B.A. degree in economics and African-American studies from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and then enrolled at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University.

As a second-year law student, Cochran started working part-time in the law firm he now manages. During his third year...

Carter Whittington concentrates his practice in North Carolina workers’ compensation law, helping injured workers seek the benefits they need and deserve after sustaining a job related injury. Whittington started working at Hardison & Cochran while he was a third-year student at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. After graduating cum laude and receiving his J.D. in 2016, he joined Hardison & Cochran as a full-time attorney. A North Carolina native, Whittington grew up in Winston-Salem and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a B.A. in political science in 2012. In law school, Whittington was...

In joining Hardison & Cochran in 2008, Joel Jackson Hardison made a transition from defending insurance companies in Workers Compensation cases to representing injured and disabled workers. He applies the insights he gained from representing insurance companies to assist the injured workers he represents. There is little doubt about which type of practice he prefers. Hardison received a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and a J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 2004. He was a member of the law school’s Holderness Moot Court team and was named to the Dean’s List. He launched his...

Attorney Rebecca A. Olla was raised in Austin, Texas. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Law Degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Before joining The Bishop Law Firm, Rebecca worked for the Texas State Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. District Court of Southern New York. After working for the government (by the people), Rebecca refocused her practice to represent clients in federal appeals in U.S. District Court (for the people). Through her prior legal experience, Rebecca has learned that lawyers are needed to ensure positive outcomes for their...

Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar found her passion for workers’ compensation law dabbling in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense law after graduating from law school. Dewkett-Kochhar graduated from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2019, and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam that same summer. A northerner at heart, Dewkett-Kochhar grew up in Rhinebeck, New York. She first moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University, where she received a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. While at law school, Dewkett-Kochhar served as a research assistant and interned with the Wake County Public Defender’s Office, a personal...

Workers who have been injured on the job or who suffer occupational diseases oftentimes must face a frustrating waiting game to receive the benefits they deserve. Attorney James Adam Bridwell, who focuses his practice solely on workers’ compensation cases, knows what it takes to help clients get their lives back together. Bridwell is a native South Carolinian. He received a B.A. in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina before coming to Raleigh to attend Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. While in law school, he was a case summary writer for the Campbell Law Observer and...

William Vásquez is a native of Queens, NY. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000-2007. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work as a Spanish linguist for the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2005. William graduated from Campbell University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He earned his J.D. in 2011 from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. His practice areas include immigration law and criminal defense cases. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of North Carolina and...

Kimberly Blackwell (maiden name) was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Law Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2008, she married her husband, Malcolm F. Bishop, III. In 2012, she changed her name to Kimberly D. Bishop. Kimberly D. Bishop, Attorney at Law has dedicated her practice to Social Security Disability Law since 2009. She has appeared before Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville and Charlotte Administrative Law Judges. She also has experience with the Appeals Council and Federal Court. She...

For Joey DeMartin, officially joining the team at Hardison & Cochran, Attorneys at Law feels like a homecoming. He worked at the law firm, writing motions and assisting in the call center while attending Campbell Law School in Raleigh. DeMartin graduated from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 2018 and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in 2019. The Washington, N.C., native is the first attorney in his family. “My grandfather was pretty happy with that,” DeMartin said, noting that the law had interested him from a young age. “I was definitely the family debater. … I...

Ava Lynch was born in Boone, North Carolina. In 2001, her family moved to Cary, North Carolina. Ava obtained her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and her Law Degree from Campbell University. In August 2017, after a six-year courtship, Ava married her husband, Colby G. Lynch. They live with their two dogs, Dixie and Sophie, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ava Lynch, Attorney at Law handles The Bishop Law Firm’s personal injury and worker’s compensation clients. She has appeared before Superior Court Judges in Wake County, Harnett County, Cumberland County, and Pender County. She also has experience in Federal Court....

Jack Keener, Attorney at Law, handles Workers’ Compensation cases for The Bishop Law Firm. He enjoys protecting the rights of NC injured workers and understands how difficult the NC Worker’s Compensation system can be for those injured on the job. He is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and is part of the NCAJ Workers’ Compensation section.

Jack is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and uses his language skills to support The Bishop Law Firm’s Latino clients. Jack is focused on providing honest, reliable, and effective legal representation to his clients, including those in the North Carolina Latino...

North Carolina personal injury lawyer Brenton D. Adams has represented individuals against insurance companies since 1973. Mr. Adams is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum. He has been selected as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in North Carolina by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Adams has given lectures to trial lawyers at numerous seminars dealing with trial advocacy and trial practice issues. Among the trial lawyer organizations at which Mr. Adams has lectured are the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, The North Carolina Bar Association,...

For more than a decade, K. Gregory Gunter has been working hard to protect the rights of his North Carolina clients with their workers' compensation - personal injury cases and is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, a prominent group dedicated to doing the same.

Joseph P. Tunstall is a trial lawyer through and through, having been successful in numerous personal injury, auto accident, Social Security, and workers’ comp cases, many of them before a jury. He has handled cases at both the federal and state levels, including the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Joe has tried close to 100 jury trials to verdict always representing the injured and never corporations or insurance companies in Eastern North Carolina. If you ask other lawyers who handle personal injury they know Joe tries his clients’ cases to juries. He is on the Board of Governors for the...

Laura graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina in 1997. During law school, Laura was on the Law Review, was active in the American Trial Lawyers Association trial competition, and received other academic honors.

Laura began her practice in 1997 working in civil litigation as defense attorney in automobile collisions and insurance law. Thereafter, Laura ran the North Carolina office for a multi-state firm, practicing as a Plaintiff’s attorney in the areas of worker’s compensation and personal injury, and other civil litigation.

From 2000 through 2003, Laura operated Laura S. Jenkins, P.C. serving the community mainly in the areas of...

Damon Duncan is a member of the family run Duncan Law, PLLC. Our firm is family run and we do all that we can to treat our clients as if they were part of our own family. Duncan Law's Commitment To You: Free Consultation: The first time that you come to our office to talk with an attorney it will be completely free. You deserve to have your case heard without having to pay. Your free consultation will allow you to explain your situation to an attorney so that he can best explain your legal options. Personal Attention: We treat...

Greensboro Personal Injury Lawyer that focuses on actually going to court to fight for clients. Most attorneys settle, but I fight.

Trial Attorney. Practice areas include workers' compensation accidents, traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases, wrongful death cases, serious car or truck injury cases, and medical malpractice cases. Licensed in North Carolina, New York, and Massachusetts.

In his law career, Dan has helped countless injured workers and their families obtain the medical care and the compensation they deserve. In fact, he has achieved some of the highest workers’ compensation settlements in the State of North Carolina. Dan is one of a select group of Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law practicing in North Carolina. He also is a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Dan is deeply committed to community service and volunteer work. He supports a number of charities and community organizations through gifts of his time, expertise and financial contributions. Along with his...

I am a workers' compensation attorney in North Carolina representing employees that have been hurt at work. Contact me for a free consult if you have been hurt at work, you may have certain rights including: payment of medical expenses, payments for permanent impairment ratings, and disability benefits for the time you are out of work.

Casey Francis has a strong desire to help people, whether it’s through her work as an attorney or her role as a volunteer for numerous community groups. She joined the Deuterman Law Group in 2011 as an associate attorney in workers’ compensation, following previous stints here as a law clerk and new client coordinator.

Casey is one of a select group of board certified specialists in workers’ compensation law practicing in North Carolina.

Since she joined the firm, Francis has been the lead attorney on workers’ comp cases involving Spanish-speaking clients with a focus on representing undocumented workers in their claims....

Ben Ridings a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the firm practicing primarily in the areas of workers’ compensation and general civil litigation.

Ben graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors and Distinction, in History. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2007, where he served as Articles and Comments Editor of the First Amendment Law Review and interned with The Honorable Robin E. Hudson of...

John started his legal career in the trenches as a Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps Lieutenant with the United States Navy. He graduated from Naval Justice School in 1991, boarded the Guided Missile Cruiser (USS CHOSIN) in Hawaii, and finally reported to his permanent duty station at the Naval Legal Service Office in Yokosuka, Japan. As a Navy defense attorney for three years, John battled in court, day after day, for the wrongly accused. It was there that he developed and honed his advocacy skills for the injured, for whom he now goes to battle everyday in the...

Kevin Bunn is a Raleigh, NC area workers' compensation lawyer representing injured NC workers. He is a Board Certified Specialist in North Carolina Workers' Compensation Law. Please go to www.ncworkercomp.com for your free consultation with a North Carolina workers' comp attorney. Mr. Bunn is licensed to practice in State and Federal courts, and the Cherokee Tribal Courts, Kevin focuses his practice primarily on workers' compensation, exclusively representing injured North Carolina workers. He is a member of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers where he serves on the Workers' Compensation Section Executive Committee. Mr. Bunn is...

Robert Frey is recognized by his peers and his clients as an expert in Workers' Compensation cases. In his law career, he has helped countless of injured workers and their families obtain the medical care and the compensation they deserve. Known for his accessibility, compassion and tenacious trial preparation, Mr. Frey is one of the leading worker's compensation attorneys in North Carolina. Mr. Frey has litigated complex workers compensation and personal injury cases. He takes pride not only in advocating for victims of workplace and personal injury, but in providing them with the resources and information they...

Valerie A. Johnson graduated from the University of North Carolina and from the UNC School of Law in 1994, with honors Before entering law school, Valerie was an elementary school teacher.

Valerie is a specialist in workers' compensation law. She teaches trial advocacy at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Valerie also has taught workers' compensation law at Wake Forest University's School of Law.

Valerie serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and chaired the workers’ compensation committee. She is a former board member of the Lawyers Coordinating Committee...

For more than 37 years, Gene Riddle has been fighting for the rights of the injured. As the founder and Managing Partner of Riddle & Brantley, LLP, Gene has earned a reputation of excellence within the legal community and is a valued leader at our law firm. Under Gene's leadership, Riddle & Brantley has recovered over $600 million in compensation for clients since 2000 alone. Today, Gene believes honesty, integrity and willingness to work hard are the bedrock principles of a good attorney. That is what he and the other lawyers at Riddle & Brantley provide to their injured clients. Gene...

Jerry D. Parker, Jr., is a co-founding principal partner of Parker & Frey, PLLC. Mr. Parker directs all litigation operations. Mr. Parker is personally involved in every case and insures that each client receives impeccable representation. Mr. Parker's litigation team includes very experienced attorneys and paralegals as well as investigators who have worked as a cohesive unit successfully for over 25 years. Jerry recently received an AV rating from his peers, which means that he was deemed to have very high professional ethics and preeminent legal ability. Only lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability receive a...

Jeannette has 11 years of experience working in the insurance industry in claims handling. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants and is bilingual in Spanish and English.

As an injury attorney, he’s found a job that combines his passion for research and for helping people who have often been wronged by the system that is supposed to protect them.

Jack graduated summa cum laude from N.C. Central University with a double major in political science and criminal justice. He earned his juris doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2016.

Originally from Basingstoke, England, Jack came to the United States on a tennis scholarship at N.C. Central. He started playing tennis at age 5 and was part of England’s national program as a junior.

While at...

Steven maintains a varied practice focusing on representing workers who have been injured on the job and people who have been injured due to the negligence of others. His practice also includes representing consumers who have been harmed by unfair or deceptive business practices.

Steven started his legal career with the office of the North Carolina Attorney General, where he worked primarily defending the state of North Carolina in workers’ compensation cases, before deciding to join Martin & Jones out of a desire to help real people who have been injured or harmed. Steven understands how difficult it is for people...

Ben Burnside is passionate about representing the rights of mentally and physically disabled and injured people. He focuses his practice on helping disabled workers and veterans receive the Social Security Disability and VA benefits to which they are entitled, especially when they have been denied those benefits in the past.

Ben is a proven advocate for his clients. In 2008, he became a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a prestigious association of trial lawyers. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million dollar or multimillion dollar verdicts, awards or settlements for their clients. Fewer than 1 Social Security...

Leah was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in 1967. Leah practices law in the following areas: workers’ compensation, personal injury litigation, trials in state and federal courts and arbitrations.
She is a Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist through the North Carolina State Bar and a frequent lecturer at the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Ken was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961 and served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps from 1986 through 1990, where he was a member of the JAG Corps. Ken practices law in the following areas: workers’ compensation, personal injury litigation, wrongful death, bankruptcy, and trials in state and federal courts and arbitrations.

He is a Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist through the North Carolina State Bar and was recently appointed to a three-year term on the North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section Council. Mr. King is also a member and frequent lecturer at the Workers’ Compensation...

Hank graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1963 and from UNC Law School in 1966, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. Before entering private practice, he served as law clerk to the Honorable J. Braxton Craven, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and worked as an attorney in Region 11 of the National Labor Relations Board. He has served on legislative study commissions and as Chair of the Workers' Rights Section of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Committee, and...

Award-Winning Personal Injury Lawyer

Serving Raleigh, Charlotte, Rocky Mount, Fayetteville, and surrounding areas in North Carolina, Brian M. Ricci is a dedicated and aggressive Greenville personal injury attorney. His practice is focused on:

Workers’ compensation
SSD
Car accidents
Medical malpractice

Recognized throughout the state and the nation as a passionate advocate for injured workers, Brian is committed to helping workplace accident victims. This commitment was recognized with his appointment to serve as a member on the Board of Directors of the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group in 2002.
Bar Admissions

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Have you been injured at work? Are you concerned about losing your employment because of a work related injury? Is your employer advising you relative to your medical care?

I am a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and a Certified Superior Court Mediator. I have been practicing law and negotiating successful outcomes for my North Carolina clients since 1999. My practice is concentrated in the area of workers' compensation. I am an aggressive advocate focused on understanding and achieving the outcomes that matter to my clients.

I added mediation to my practice...

Matthew Burkert was raised in Durham, North Carolina, and still resides in the same area he grew up in. He is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he received a bachelor’s degree majoring in Criminal Justice in 2008. Matt then attended North Carolina Central University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2012. He passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in February, 2013, becoming a licensed attorney in the State. Matt joined the Constantinou Law Group, PA as a law clerk while in law school in 2010. He remained at the firm after passing the bar, becoming...