What You Should Know About Our Workers’ Compensation Team

When considering a firm to fight for you, look at the team, the track record, and the resources the firm brings to bear. How much experience do they have? What is their background? Why should you trust them to fight for you?

We’ve seen workers’ comp from nearly every angle imaginable. Our breadth of experience as a team gives us intimate knowledge of the system, the laws governing it, and the insurance companies’ tactics. If you’ve been injured at work, contact us anytime, 24/7 at 866-900-7078 for a free case evaluation.

We Have Attorneys Who Formerly Worked for the Commission

Our team includes two attorneys who formerly served on the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC). In other words, we’re not surprised by what the Commission does, we know how it works, and how to work within the system, striving for the best outcome for our North Carolina clients.

We Have Professionals Who Formerly Worked for the Insurance Companies

Some of the people on our team have worked for insurance companies and know firsthand how they do business. They got tired of defending big insurers, fighting to reduce what was being paid to injured workers. Now, they put their knowledge of insurance companies’ tactics and business practices to use. We know their methods, and how to try to counter them.

We Have NC State Bar Board Certified Specialists

The word “specialist” is a very important one in North Carolina workers’ compensation law. It refers to North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialists in specific areas of Law. As of February 2021, there were fewer than 160 workers’ compensation specialists licensed in the state.³

“Under 27 NCAC 01D Section .2701, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization has designated workers’ compensation as a field of law for which certification of specialists is permitted. Only attorneys that qualify for this designation are entitled to use the term ‘Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law.’”

We have several of these NC State Bar Board Certified Specialists on our team. For more background on what it takes to become a workers’ compensation specialist in North Carolina, you can read the NC Bar’s page on legal specialization for workers’ comp.

Our firm has been recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® as one of the “Best Law Firms” for workers’ compensation for the greater Raleigh area⁴ in 2021.

Quick Facts About Our Workers’ Compensation Team

• We have several former defense attorneys and paralegals who worked for insurance companies or defense firms, now bringing that inside knowledge to fight for you.
• Several of our workers’ comp attorneys are NC State Bar Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation. Helping injured workers is their passion.
• Two of our attorneys served with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The NCIC is an impartial agency. These attorneys decided to take your side.
• One of our attorneys is a former North Carolina State Senator. He was elected to serve the seventh district of North Carolina for four terms, and helped write some of North Carolina’s workers’ compensation law.
• Several of our attorneys are recognized professionals in workers’ compensation. Some
  speak at seminars for other workers’ compensation attorneys. Others have written books about other areas of law, and several have collected awards for NC workers’ compensation, including five who were named to the “Best Lawyer”⁴list by Best Lawyers in America for 2021.
• Several of our North Carolina attorneys have more than 10 years of experience in workers’ compensation law.
• Our attorneys are advocates for those in need. And service to others is not something we take lightly. Many of our workers’ compensation attorneys are members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.
• We have attorneys licensed in North and South Carolina!

Workers’ Compensation Attorneys With Answers

We have a large team of people working for our workers’ compensation clients, led by our core group of North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law. They are supported by a skilled, experienced staff with dedicated, caring paralegals. Here’s a little more about our team of workers’ compensation attorneys.

	Doug Berger Practicing law since 1990 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Former Deputy Commissioner, NCIC Former Head Administrator, Department of Claims, NCIC Former North Carolina State Senator
	Ryan Bliss Practicing law since 2008 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Formerly worked defending insurance companies Listed as a “Rising Star”4 by Super Lawyers magazine, 2018
	Brian Clemmons Practicing law since 1987 Formerly worked defending insurance companies Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice – Workers’ Compensation section Accepted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals
	Casey Day Practicing law since 2013 Co-Founded UNC Labor and Employment Law Society Licensed to practice in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”4list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2021
	Matt Harbin Practicing law since 2000 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar North Carolina Advocates for Justice Order of Service award, 2017, 2018, 2019 North Carolina State Bar Workers’ Compensation Council member
	Matthew Healey Practicing law since 2002 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Named to “Best Lawyers”4list for Workers’ Compensation law by Best Lawyers in America, 2013–2021 Named to “Super Lawyer”4list by North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine, 2014–2016, 2021 Listed as a “Rising Star”4by North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine, 2010–2013 Named Raleigh Workers’ Compensation “Lawyer of the Year”4by Best Lawyers in America, 2015, 2017
	Barry Jennings Practicing law since 2003 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Listed as a “Rising Star”4by Super Lawyers magazine, 2011–2013 Named to “Best Lawyers”4list for Workers’ Compensation law by Best Lawyers in America, 2015–2021 Awarded Martindale-Hubbell AV “Pre-eminent” Rating for 20154
	Michael Jordan Practicing law since 1993 BV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 19964 Order of Service, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015) Member, Durham Bar Association (Board of Directors since 2019)
	Daniel Lehrer Practicing law since 2010 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”4list for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2021 Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
	Josh D. Smith Practicing law since 2012 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”4 list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2021 Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
	Ali Overby Practicing law since 2015 Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”4 list for Workers’ Compensation law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2021 Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
	Michael Roessler Practicing law since 2008 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Licensed to practice in North Carolina and South Carolina Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
	Susan Vanderweert Practicing law since 2003 Certified NC Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar Named to “Best Lawyers”4list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2021 Formerly worked defending insurance companies Holds Martindale-Hubbell AV “Pre-eminent” Rating4
	Michael Williams Practicing law since 1998 Formerly worked defending insurance companies Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice Member, North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers

If You Were Hurt at Work, Put Our Experience to Work for You

Contact the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin as soon as possible after your work injury. You can reach us online or by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 866-900-7078 for a free case evaluation.

Text UsWe don’t collect an attorney’s fee unless we collect for you!² We’ve helped more than 50,000 clients recover more than $1.2 billion in total compensation since 1997.¹ Don’t let the insurance companies push you around – tell them you mean business!

 

³ Figure provided by the N.C. State Bar as of February 2021.

⁴For complete information including where to find standards of inclusion for the honors our attorneys have earned, please visit www.martindale.com, www.superlawyers.com, and www.bestlawyers.com.