Halifax County Workers' Compensation Lawyers

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...

After 15 years with other firms, I started my own law practice in 2004. I am a disability lawyer practicing before the N.C. Industrial Commission and the Social Security Administration.

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...

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...

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.

Mr. Spain was admitted to the State Bar in 2013 and practiced as an estates and business law attorney prior to joining BHSPA in 2018. Jason focuses on Estate Planning and Probate law, helping clients plan for their family’s future and to assist clients in administering the estate of a loved one. He also is proficient in helping small business owners set up business succession plans that will allow their companies to be passed on to the next generation and help provide financial security for their families in the event of retirement, death, or disability. ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Nathaniel “Nat” Smith heads up the firm’s civil litigation practice. He handles serious personal injury and workers’ compensation cases in addition to business litigation, trust and estate litigation cases. He also works on civil appeals on behalf of the firm’s clients. Mr. Smith grew up in Raleigh, where he was a member of Broughton High School’s 50th graduating class in 1979. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He graduated with honors from UNC School of Law in 1993. While in law school, he clerked...

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...

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.

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...

40+ years of legal experience. Our firm limits its practice to representation of injured and disabled claimants in NC workers Compensation and Social Security Disability cases. Board Certified Specialist in NC Workers' Compensation Law. Licensed to practice in State and Federal courts. AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Best Law Firms, Americas Most Honored Professionals, etc. Member, NC Advocates for Justice, NC Bar Association, National Association of Social Security Claimants Representatives. Captain, JAGC, USNR (Ret.)

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...

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...

Durham disability, personal injury and traffic lawyer representing clients in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and throughout North Carolina.

Mr. Jacob Goad is a workers’ compensation and personal injury attorney with Law Office of Jacob Goad, PLLC. Mr. Goad graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill where he majored in Spanish and minored in Social and Economic Justice. At UNC, Mr. Goad earned membership in Sigma Delta Pi, a Hispanic Collegiate Honor Society. After earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Goad lived and worked in Peru, where he got involved with environmental advocacy and also coordinated international delegations. He accompanied CNN producers and Dr. Sanjay Gupta to the town of La Oroya where Mr. Goad introduced Dr. Gupta...

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...

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.

Tim is a Trial Lawyer that you can trust when you or a family member has been injured. He has dedicated his career to representing individuals and families facing the uncertainty of how to navigate the process of filing and successfully pursuing a claim against the at-fault party and their insurance company when an injury occurs. Tim is grateful to be able to work with the professional staff and attorneys who make up the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C. as they demonstrate daily their commitment to excellence in law. The firm has locations in multiple...

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...

Mr. Taibi graduated with Highest Honors as first in his class at the Duke University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina. While in law school, Tony served as an Article Editor of the Duke Law Journal, a Moot Court Board member and participant, and won the “Most Effective Advocate Award” for Trial Practice. Tony then served as Clerk to the late Judge Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Baltimore, Maryland. Following his clerkship, Mr. Taibi taught Civil Procedure, Torts, and Regulatory Law and Policy as an Assistant Professor at the University...

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...

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 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...

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...

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....

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I have a passion for helping others and decided to be an attorney to be an advocate for injured individuals. After college, I attended South Texas College of Law Houston. During law school, I was a Student Ambassador, Vice President of the Criminal Law Society, and a member of the Hispanic Law Students Association and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. In addition to my studies, I gained experience as a law clerk at several personal injury, general...

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...

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...