Hardison & Cochran

What Hardison & Cochran does

Hardison & Cochran is a privately held North Carolina plaintiffs' law firm founded in 1980 (also cited as 1982) by Benjamin T. Cochran, with day-to-day operations led by Cochran as Managing Partner and J. Jackson Hardison as Partner (joined 2008). The firm is headquartered in Raleigh and operates six offices across the state (Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilmington, and the original Dunn office). It focuses exclusively on injury and disability representation, with core practice areas including personal injury, workers' compensation, car and truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, Social Security Disability, VA Disability benefits, nursing home negligence, child care negligence, wrongful death, premises liability, inadequate security, defective drugs and medical devices, and mass torts.

The firm's business model is built on contingency-fee representation: clients pay no upfront costs and fees are taken as a percentage of recovery, with no fee assessed if there is no recovery. Social Security Disability matters follow a federally regulated fee schedule (25% of back pay or $9,200, whichever is less, at the administrative level; 25% with no cap at federal court). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through free initial phone consultations, in-person meetings at six offices, and home visits by firm investigators; a formal two-way attorney referral network supplements inbound leads. Marketing emphasizes owned content (a 300+ post blog, a podcast, monthly newsletters since 2021), community sponsorships, and earned media on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, USA Today, NC Lawyers Weekly and other regional outlets.

The firm's competitive positioning rests on four decades of continuous operation, four North Carolina Board-Certified Specialists in Workers' Compensation Law, a documented track record of multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements (including a $6.75M personal injury matter, a $3.5M workplace injury matter, and a $3.0M car accident matter), and consistent credentialing through Best Lawyers 2026, U.S. News Best Law Firms 2023 and 2026, Super Lawyers 2023, and Raleigh's Best 2025. The firm is privately held with no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds, no mergers or acquisitions, and no parent or PE ownership identified in available sources.

Name

Hardison & Cochran

Legal name

Hardison & Cochran

Website

https://lawyernc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hardison & Cochran is a North Carolina plaintiffs' law firm serving injured workers and personal injury claimants across six NC offices, handling personal injury, workers' compensation, Social Security Disability, and VA Disability cases on a contingency-fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Injury and Disability Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Personal injury law
• Workers compensation law
• Social security disability
• Car accident attorney
• Wrongful death representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fees - Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation: The firm operates primarily on a contingency fee basis for personal injury and workers' compensation cases. Fees are calculated as a fixed percentage of the recovery amount. If no recovery is obtained for the client, no legal fees are charged. This model eliminates upfront costs for clients and aligns firm incentives with client outcomes.
2. Social Security Disability Attorney Fees: Social Security Disability cases are handled differently from contingency fee model. Attorneys receive fees only if the client wins and receives back pay. Fees are regulated by law at 25% of back pay or $9,200, whichever is less. At the federal court level, fees can be up to 25% of back pay with no cap, and may be partially paid by the government under the Equal Access to Justice Act.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hardison & Cochran is a North Carolina-based plaintiff-side law firm providing legal representation for individuals injured due to negligence, workplace accidents, or disability. Core practice areas include personal injury (car, truck, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, defective drugs/devices, mass torts) and workers' compensation, plus Social Security Disability and VA Disability claims. The firm operates almost exclusively on contingency fee arrangements, charging no upfront costs and collecting fees only as a percentage of client recoveries.

Product overview

Hardison & Cochran is a North Carolina personal injury and disability law firm offering legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal practice providing comprehensive representation for injured workers and accident victims. The core services include Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Social Security Disability, VA Disability, and various specialized practice areas including wrongful death, nursing home negligence, defective drugs/devices, and premises liability. The firm employs North Carolina Board-Certified Specialists in Workers' Compensation Law and offers contingency fee arrangements where clients pay no upfront costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury Legal Services Legal representation for individuals injured due to another party's negligence, covering accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and catastrophic injuries. Billed on contingency.
• Workers' Compensation Legal Services Legal assistance for workplace injuries and occupational diseases, helping North Carolina workers secure benefits under the state's Workers' Compensation Act. Includes four North Carolina Board-Certified Specialists.
• Car Accident Legal Services Legal representation for victims of automobile accidents to recover compensation for injuries, medical expenses, and lost wages.
• Truck Accident Legal Services Legal representation for victims of commercial truck accidents, including tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and big rigs.
• Motorcycle Accident Legal Services Legal representation for motorcycle riders injured in accidents caused by other drivers' negligence.
• Social Security Disability Legal Services Legal assistance with Social Security disability claims and appeals for individuals unable to work due to disability. Fees are statutorily regulated at 25% of back pay or $9,200 (whichever is less).
• Nursing Home Negligence Legal Services Legal representation for victims of elder abuse and nursing home negligence in North Carolina.
• Child Care Negligence Legal Services Legal representation for families dealing with child care negligence and abuse cases.
• Wrongful Death Legal Services Legal representation for families seeking justice and compensation following the wrongful death of a loved one.
• Premises Liability Legal Services Legal representation for injuries occurring on another party's property due to unsafe conditions.
• VA Disability Benefits Legal Services Legal assistance for veterans seeking VA disability benefits they are entitled to receive. Practice led by the firm's Veterans Disability Division head.
• Defective Drugs Legal Services Legal representation for individuals harmed by dangerous or defective pharmaceutical drugs.
• Defective Medical Device Legal Services Legal representation for injuries caused by defective medical devices and implants.
• Mass Torts Legal Services Legal representation in mass tort cases involving multiple plaintiffs harmed by the same product or circumstance.
• Inadequate Security Legal Services Legal representation for victims of crimes that occurred due to insufficient security measures on properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.75 Million Personal Injury settlement
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Riddle & Brantley: North Carolina personal injury and workers' compensation firm with a similar contingency-fee, multi-office plaintiff model directly serving the same NC client base as Hardison & Cochran.
• Grimes Teich Anderson LLP: NC-based plaintiff firm handling personal injury and workers' compensation cases across multiple offices; competes head-to-head with Hardison & Cochran for the same injured-worker segment.
• Wallace Pierce Law: North Carolina personal injury firm with comparable multi-office regional coverage and contingency-fee structure, competing directly for PI and accident cases across the state.
• Hupy and Abraham: Midwest personal injury firm operating on contingency fees with multiple offices; mirrors Hardison & Cochran's plaintiff model, marketing intensity, and PI/workers' comp practice mix.
• Larry H. Parker Injury Lawyers: Long-standing contingency-fee personal injury firm with strong brand recognition and a similar plaintiff-side service lineup (auto, premises, wrongful death) to Hardison & Cochran.
• Bader Scott Injury Lawyers: Southeast regional plaintiff firm handling personal injury, workers' comp, and SSD cases on contingency — closely aligned business model and customer segments to Hardison & Cochran.
• John Foy & Associates: Georgia-based contingency-fee personal injury firm with a comparable multi-attorney model and similar reliance on broadcast/digital lead generation in a regional market.
• Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law: Texas-based personal injury firm built on contingency fees and broad accident/injury practice mix, structurally comparable to Hardison & Cochran in size and go-to-market approach.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest U.S. plaintiff-side personal injury firm with national advertising scale; competes with Hardison & Cochran in NC for accident and injury cases and sets the market's customer-acquisition cost baseline.
• Cellino Law: National personal injury brand built on contingency fees and heavy broadcast advertising; comparable business model and target customer to Hardison & Cochran but with multi-state reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LawyerNC
• Facebookfacebook.com/lawyernc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lawyernc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hardison & Cochran