Wake County 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Angela was born in Connersville, Indiana in 1970. She was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 2000. Angela practices law in the following areas: workers’ compensation and personal injury. She attended Ball State University (B.S., 1993); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., 1999) Memberships/Associations: North Carolina State Bar Association; Onslow County Bar Association; North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section.

Chris Hyland is an experiences personal injury lawyer and managing partner at Hyland, Padilla, & Fowler, PLLC. He is committed to protecting the rights of injury victims in Raleigh and Durham. Chris attended College of Wooster for his undergraduate degree and earned his Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law. Active in the legal community, he is a current member, and former president, of the Durham County Bar Association. He is also a part of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Fourteenth Judicial District, the North Carolina Bar Association, and more. For his dedication and success, he was awarded...

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...

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David Vtipil is a skilled personal injury lawyer serving North Carolina. He handles cases in many different areas including car accidents, work injuries, dog bites, and more. David is also a NC certified board specialist in Workers' Compensation cases. He has won many awards including being named one of the Best Lawyers in America in the field of workers' compensation law.

Kelly A. Stevens is a co-founder and managing member of the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, P.L.L.C. and has been practicing as an attorney since 1994. She grew up in the mid-west and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. While in college she was elected President of her pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta. She attended law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated in 1994. While in law school she performed an internship at the Attorney General's Office for the State of Missouri and later clerked for...

A North Carolina native, David was born and raised in a commercial fishing family on the Outer Banks. He decided to attend law school while he was at North Carolina State University earning dual BAs in Economics and Business Management. Even then, he knew that “fighting for the little guy” was his destiny. After 20 years, he and his partners continue to stand for the same principles.

An avid Top Dragster racer (with an IHRA Class B license), David has written articles on the importance of adequate insurance coverage and appropriate legal representation for several racing industry publications.

He spent years dedicated...

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...

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...

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,...

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.

Aaron C. Hemmings is a co-founder of the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC, and has been a practicing attorney since 1999. His practice includes Consumer Class Actions, Banking Law, Insurance Bad Faith, Professional Negligence and other Civil Litigation. In 2005, Aaron Hemmings and Kelly Stevens decided to start their own law firm and co-founded Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC. They opened their doors on September 5, 2005. Since then and throughout his career, Aaron has aggressively represented individuals and small businesses in cases involving consumer fraud, and wrongfully denied insurance claims. Aaron has represented clients in numerous jury...

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.

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...

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...

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...

For more than tow decades Mr. Dixon has been helping to fight for the rights of the injured. With a comprehensive skill set and a proven record of success, Kurt is a highly valued asset at the law offices of Riddle & Brantley.

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....

A personal injury is traumatic, a legal battle shouldn’t be. Look to Brad Clark of Whitley Law Firm for your help. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Raleigh today for your personalized advice!

I am a civil litigation attorney and have litigated cases since 1998, with first chair trial experience. In my career, I have pursued and defended wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injury claims, minor to severe automobile injury claims, sovereign and governmental immunity claims, inadequate security claims, nursing home/elder abuse claims, and trucking litigation. I also have extensive District Court criminal defense experience, have tried workers' compensation hearings, and argued to the Full Industrial Commission. I have deposed accident reconstruction experts, economists, life care planners, and medical experts, as well as lay witnesses.

Robert was born and raised in Jacksonville, NC. In 2011, he graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Robert continued his education at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 2013. Robert enjoys history and remaining active in community service. Robert joined the King Law Firm in 2014 and practices in the areas of workers’ compensation, personal injury litigation, and social security disability.

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...

I am of counsel with the Kellum Law Firm, which has ten offices in North Carolina. I am also a NC DRC-certified mediator. Prior to working for Kellum, I was self-employed in mediation, and prior to that I was a Special Deputy Commissioner at the North Carolina Industrial Commission. I have 16 years' of experience primarily in worker's comp law. I am also conversational in Spanish and am happy to represent Spanish-speaking clients as well as to conduct bilingual mediations. I enjoy representing injured workers from all walks of life.

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...

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...

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...