Wilson County Workers' Compensation Lawyers

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

Do you need quality legal advice? Then look to Ben Whitely, of Whitley Law Firm. Don’t suffer through your personal injury alone. Contact a Raleigh personal injury lawyer to schedule a meeting today!

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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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 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.

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...

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...

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 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....

Since 1983, I have engaged in the general practice of law in Greenville, North Carolina. My practice has evolved over the years first as a sole practitioner, then with an associate, then as a partner in Cannon & Taylor, LLP and finally as the senior attorney in the law firm of Cannon Law Offices, PLLC. My practice has centered around helping with the needs of an average family. Over the years, I have concentrated in the areas of social security disability, workers' compensation, bankruptcy and traffic tickets. Along the way, I have served as a panel attorney representing...

As a Goldsboro native, Mr. Smith brings a wealth of knowledge to the law offices of Riddle & Brantley and has received numerous accolades within the legal community including being a recipient of the National Trial Lawyers To 40 Under 40 Award.

Mr. Brantley is a co-founder and Partner at the law offices of Riddle & Brantley, LLP. With a proven track record obtained from representing thousands of clients throughout North Carolina, Christopher is a board-certified North Carolina State Bar Specialist in Workers’ Compensation law that is also a recipient of the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum award. An honor provided to less than 1% of all trial lawyers in the United States that recognizes his achievement of obtaining a trial verdict, award or settlement in excess of $1 million or more.

Jeremy concentrates in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, workers' compensation, social security and medical malpractice. He has tried cases in the Superior and District Courts as well as before the Industrial Commission and Administrative Law Judges. In 2003, Jeremy received the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Highest Civilian Honor. Jeremy received his undergraduate degree from St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, North Carolina and his law degree from Widener University in Delaware. In addition to being licensed as an Attorney, Jeremy also holds a Real Estate Sales License and is certified as both a mediator and arbitrator.