Charlotte · Workers’ Compensation Guide
North Carolina workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, so the real questions after a job injury are how much a lawyer actually costs, how fast the clock runs out, and what happens if you cannot afford one at all. We compared three workers’ compensation lawyers in Charlotte, NC on their North Carolina bar records, published fee terms, and verified Google reviews, then set out where each one fits and where each falls short.
DJA Editorial · Legal Directory Research
Checked against state bar licensee records, court sources and public review platforms · Last updated September 2026
The short answer
Three firms of very different sizes, listed in the order supplied rather than ranked. The smallest firm here carries the deepest workers’ comp credential; the largest carries by far the biggest review base.
1
Ramsay Law Firm, P.A.Featured
Best for a claim you want a board certified partner to handle personally
2
Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
Best for a case that may need heavy litigation resources behind it
3
The Olsinski Law Firm, PLLC
Best for a work injury that overlaps with a separate injury or criminal matter
At a glance: Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Charlotte, compared
| Firm |
Best for |
Focus |
Bar record |
Fees |
Rating |
| Ramsay Law Firm, P.A. |
Best for a claim you want a board certified partner to handle personally |
Denied claims, third-party injury claims, wrongful termination after filing |
Martha L. Ramsay, NC 1993, board certified in workers’ comp |
Contingency, subject to the NC 25% fee cap |
4.9 · 128 Google |
| Law Offices of James Scott Farrin |
Best for a case that may need heavy litigation resources behind it |
High-volume workers’ comp, injury, and disability claims across two states |
60+ firm-wide attorneys, none named as leading the Charlotte WC team |
Contingency, fee calculated on gross recovery before costs |
4.9 · 3004 Google, Charlotte office listing |
| The Olsinski Law Firm, PLLC |
Best for a work injury that overlaps with a separate injury or criminal matter |
Workers’ comp coordinated with a related third-party or criminal matter |
Kimberly Olsinski, NC 2009; Justin Olsinski, admission year not published |
Contingency, subject to the NC 25% fee cap |
4.9 · 252 Google |
Workers’ Compensation in Charlotte: the local picture
25%
The fee cap on every case
North Carolina does not let a workers’ comp lawyer set an arbitrary rate. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-90, every attorney fee has to be approved by the Industrial Commission as reasonable, and the customary figure lawyers and firms across the state quote is 25% of the compensation recovered. There is no fee if there is no recovery.
2 years
The deadline that can end a claim before it starts
You have to notify your employer in writing within 30 days of a workplace injury under N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-22, then file Form 18 with the Industrial Commission within two years of the injury date under Section 97-24. Miss either one and the claim can be barred entirely, no matter how clearly the injury happened at work.
Free
Help if you are not ready to hire anyone
The North Carolina Industrial Commission runs a free phone line, still commonly called the Ombudsman Section, staffed to answer questions and explain rights for claimants who do not have a lawyer. It will not argue your case for you, but it will tell you what a form means or whether a deadline has passed, at no cost, before you decide whether to hire anyone on this page.
What clients in Charlotte say: Across all three Google listings, the praise clusters around the same thing: a named staff member who returned calls and explained what was happening. That holds true whether the firm has 128 reviews or 3,000. What differs is depth and scope. The smallest firm here has the deepest workers’ comp credential behind its named partner but the thinnest review base. The largest firm’s Charlotte listing carries thousands of reviews, yet the most visible ones describe car accident and general injury cases rather than workers’ comp specifically, and no single attorney is presented as running that practice locally. Read past the star rating before you call.
How we chose these Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Charlotte
We compared three Charlotte firms handling North Carolina workers’ compensation claims on things a reader can verify directly: bar admission and any published board certification for the named attorneys, the practice pages and case types each firm actually lists, published fee and consultation terms, and the visible client reviews on each firm’s Google Business Profile.
Firm and attorney details come from each firm’s own site, cross checked against Google Business Profile listings and public attorney directories including Justia, Super Lawyers, and the National Trial Lawyers. We could not submit a query against the North Carolina State Bar’s interactive licensee search this run, since it requires an interactive form rather than a direct link; every bar record below is flagged where it rests on a secondary directory rather than a direct State Bar pull, and readers should confirm current standing themselves before hiring. No case result, recovery total, or success rate appears here unless the firm publishes it itself, in which case it is labelled as the firm’s own figure.
1. Ramsay Law Firm, P.A.Featured
Best for a claim you want a board certified partner to handle personally
★★★★½ 4.9 / 5 · Google · 128 reviews
The smallest firm on this page and the one with the deepest single credential. Founder Martha L. Ramsay holds North Carolina State Bar board certification in workers’ compensation law, and partner Scott G. Galiger is one of two NFLPA panel workers’ compensation attorneys in the state, per the firm. Reviewers name Ramsay Law Firm’s Charlotte workers’ compensation attorneys and support staff individually and describe holiday cards and personal follow-up, the kind of contact a firm this size can sustain more easily than a much larger one.
Identity and footprint
Office10610 Metromont Parkway Ste. 205, Charlotte, NC 28269
Phone704-376-1616, toll free 1-877-576-5500
Founder and managing attorneyMartha L. Ramsay
Other named attorneysBrian C. Hunt, Scott G. Galiger
Service areaCharlotte plus Concord, Cornelius, Gastonia, Harrisburg, Huntersville, Monroe, and Mooresville
LanguagesEnglish and Spanish, with a separate Spanish language section of the site
Practice and scope
Core workWorkers’ compensation and personal injury
WC sub-practices listedDenied claims, third-party claims, filing a claim, wrongful termination and REDA retaliation, fired while on workers’ comp, law enforcement injury, professional athlete injury, unsafe workplaces
Niche claimFirm states partner Scott Galiger is one of only two NFLPA (NFL Players Association) workers’ compensation panel attorneys in North Carolina, its own claim Named opposing employersFirm’s own list of past matters includes Amazon, American Airlines, Bank of America, FedEx Ground, UPS, and Walmart
Credentials and licensing
Martha L. RamsayJD, SUNY Buffalo School of Law, 1992; admitted North Carolina, 1993; NC State Bar board certification in workers’ compensation law since 2012
Scott G. GaligerJD, Emory University School of Law, 1994; admitted Georgia, 1994, and North Carolina; described in third party directories as board certified in workers’ compensation law
Brian C. HuntJD, Elon University School of Law
A finding worth knowingScott Galiger is separately listed elsewhere as the principal of his own Greensboro practice, and Brian Hunt is separately listed as a named partner of a related firm, Dewey, Ramsay & Hunt, P.A., at the same Metromont Parkway address. Neither site explains the exact working relationship between the firms.
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency, advertised as “We Don’t Get Paid Until You Do” (firm site)
ConsultationFree
What clients say
✓ Named staff praised for personal follow-up
✓ Holiday cards and long-term contact after the case closed
· Small review base next to the other two firms here
· One review mentions a case-handler changeover mid-case
Reviewers repeatedly name specific staff members, Liliana, Gawain, Tana, and Leah among them, and describe being kept informed through what several call an emotional process, plus birthday and holiday cards after the case closed. One reviewer notes her file moved from one staff member to another partway through. At 128 reviews, this is a far smaller base than either other firm on this page.
Why they fit Charlotte: The pick if you want a board certified partner and a small enough shop that staff know your case by name, and the firm’s NFLPA panel connection is a real niche the other two firms do not claim. The honest trade off is scale and paperwork: 128 Google reviews next to a competitor with thousands, and two of the three named attorneys here appear elsewhere with affiliations (a separate Greensboro practice, a same-address related firm) that this firm’s own site does not fully explain, so ask directly who on the team will actually handle your file.
2. Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
Best for a case that may need heavy litigation resources behind it
★★★★½ 4.9 / 5 · Google, Charlotte office listing · 3004 reviews
The largest firm on this page by a wide margin. Founded in 1997 and now running 60-plus attorneys across 14 North Carolina offices and one in South Carolina, James Scott Farrin states it has recovered over $2 billion for more than 78,000 clients and includes former insurance defense attorneys and adjusters on staff. The Charlotte office’s own Google listing carries roughly 3,000 reviews, more than the other two firms on this page combined, though James Scott Farrin’s workers’ comp team is not named separately from its much larger car accident and injury caseload.
Identity and footprint
Charlotte office301 S McDowell St Suite 900, Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone704-599-1078 local, 1-866-900-7078 toll free
Founded1997, by James S. Farrin
Firm size60-plus attorneys across 14 North Carolina offices and one South Carolina office
HoursPhone and chat available 24 hours a day; in-person appointments 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
LanguagesEnglish and Spanish, with a full Spanish language site
Practice and scope
Core workAuto accidents, workers’ compensation, personal injury, Social Security Disability, complex litigation, civil rights, defective products
Money page noteThe URL supplied for this listing is the firm’s homepage rather than its practice-specific Charlotte workers’ compensation page, which sits at a different address on the same site.
In-house backgroundFirm states it employs former insurance defense attorneys, former insurance adjusters, and a former state senator, its own claim
Published resultsFirm states over $2 billion recovered for more than 78,000 clients since 1997, and a separate $1.25 billion discrimination settlement; these are the firm’s own figures and cannot be independently checked
Credentials and licensing
Named founderJames S. Farrin
Board certificationFirm states “several” of its attorneys hold NC State Bar board certification, without naming which are certified in workers’ compensation law
Charlotte workers’ comp leadNo single attorney is presented on the firm’s site as leading the Charlotte workers’ comp practice; the firm’s roster of 60-plus attorneys is firm-wide rather than office-specific
AwardsBest Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent, and Million Dollar Advocates Forum, among others the firm lists (firm site)
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency, described as “No Attorney’s Fee Unless We Win,” with the fee calculated on gross recovery before deduction of costs
ConsultationFree, available 24 hours a day by phone or chat
What clients say
✓ Attorney and paralegal named together and praised
✓ Consistent updates through a long process
✓ Largest review base on this page by far
· Visible reviews mostly describe car accident and general injury cases, not workers’ comp specifically
The five most visible reviews on the Charlotte listing each name a specific attorney and paralegal pair and describe consistent contact through what more than one reviewer calls a long process. None of the most prominent reviews specifically describes a workers’ comp claim, so the tone here comes from the firm’s broader injury caseload rather than confirmation of how its workers’ comp team handles a file.
Why they fit Charlotte: The pick if the case looks contested enough to need real litigation depth and staff who have negotiated against insurers from the other side, and the Charlotte office’s own review count dwarfs the other two firms on this page combined. The honest trade off: no attorney is named as running the Charlotte workers’ comp practice specifically, its published totals are the firm’s own figures with no independent check available, and the reviews as displayed skew toward car accident cases rather than workers’ comp.
3. The Olsinski Law Firm, PLLC
Best for a work injury that overlaps with a separate injury or criminal matter
★★★★½ 4.9 / 5 · Google · 252 reviews
A multi-practice firm founded in Charlotte in January 2010 by Justin C. Olsinski, whose practice began in criminal defense. Co-founder Kimberly Olsinski, Esq. worked inside an insurance company’s legal department during law school before switching to representing injured people, and now handles the firm’s personal injury and workers’ comp side. The firm’s own Charlotte workers’ comp page states North Carolina’s statutory fee cap correctly and runs personal injury, criminal defense, and family law out of the same two offices.
Identity and footprint
Charlotte office1355 Greenwood Cliff Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28204
Concord office67 Cabarrus Ave W, Concord, NC 28025
Phone704-405-2580 Charlotte, 704-918-4747 ConcordFoundedJanuary 2010, by Justin C. Olsinski
Named founding partnersJustin C. Olsinski and Kimberly Olsinski, Esq.
Firm typeMulti-practice: personal injury, workers’ compensation, criminal defense, and family law under one roof
Practice and scope
Core WC workClaim filing, denials, coordinating a third-party injury claim alongside a workers’ comp claim, and lump-sum clincher settlements
Attorney background relevant to WCKimberly Olsinski worked in an insurance company’s legal department during law school before moving to plaintiff-side work
Page authorshipThe firm’s Charlotte workers’ comp page is credited to Justin C. Olsinski, whose own bar recognitions are concentrated in criminal defense rather than workers’ comp
Coordination pitchFirm states it runs personal injury, workers’ comp, and criminal defense together for cases that cross practice lines, such as a work injury caused by a driver later facing a DWI charge
Credentials and licensing
Kimberly OlsinskiJD, Hofstra University School of Law, 2009, top 14% of her class; BA, William and Mary; admitted North Carolina, 2009 per public directory records
Kimberly Olsinski recognitionsSuper Lawyers Rising Star, 2018 to 2019; NITA Trial Techniques program graduate; AVVO Client’s Choice award
Justin C. OlsinskiJD, Hofstra University School of Law; BA, Indiana University Bloomington; founded his Charlotte practice in January 2010
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency; the firm’s own page states North Carolina workers’ comp attorney fees are capped by the Industrial Commission, usually at 25% of the disputed benefit amount, matching N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-90
ConsultationFree, described as available 24 hours a day
What clients say
✓ Named criminal defense and traffic attorneys praised for results
✓ Responsive and clear communication
· None of the most visible reviews describes a workers’ comp claim
· Rating covers the whole multi-practice office, not the workers’ comp team alone
The five most visible reviews on this listing describe criminal defense and traffic matters by name, Diane Price, William Cathcart, and Jacqueline Keenan among them, rather than workers’ comp claims. That fits a firm whose founder built the practice in criminal defense first. The tone is genuine responsiveness and clear communication, but a reader chasing a workers’ comp claim specifically cannot confirm from this reviews page that the same experience holds for that side of the firm.
Why they fit Charlotte: The fit when a work injury overlaps with a separate personal injury or criminal matter, since the firm runs those practices together rather than referring you elsewhere. The honest caveat: neither named partner is presented anywhere in the research as holding board certification in workers’ compensation law, and both the firm’s own bar recognitions and its most visible Google reviews skew toward its criminal defense and general injury work rather than workers’ comp specifically, so ask directly who on the team handles the workers’ comp side day to day.
What to check before hiring a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Charlotte
✓ Look up the North Carolina bar record yourself
The North Carolina State Bar runs a free member directory search by name showing admission year, current status, and any public discipline. It requires an interactive form rather than a direct link, which is why this page flags several records as unconfirmed. Search the actual attorney who will handle your file, not just the firm name.
✓ Ask how the 25% fee cap applies to your specific case
North Carolina law caps the customary workers’ comp attorney fee at 25% of compensation recovered, and the Industrial Commission has to approve it. Ask whether that percentage applies to medical compensation, wage benefits, or both, and get the fee agreement in writing before you sign anything.
✓ Confirm your written notice and Form 18 deadlines the same day you call
You have 30 days to notify your employer in writing and two years to file Form 18 with the Industrial Commission. Both deadlines run from the date of injury, not from when you first speak with a lawyer, so confirm where you stand on both before you decide who to hire.
✓ Ask who is actually assigned to your file
At a larger firm the daily point of contact is often a paralegal or case manager rather than the attorney whose name is on the door. That is not a problem by itself, but ask for the assigned attorney’s name and what triggers their direct involvement before you sign.
✓ Call the free Industrial Commission line if you are not ready to hire anyone
The Ombudsman Section of the North Carolina Industrial Commission answers questions about your rights and the claim forms at no cost, whether or not you ever hire a lawyer. Use it to sanity check anything a firm tells you before you commit.
✓ Ask directly about anything flagged on this page
Several rows above are marked as unconfirmed because a direct bar search or a published figure was not available this run. Raise those specific points, an attorney’s current bar status, a fee percentage, a discrepancy between the firm’s site and its Google listing, at the first call rather than assuming they resolve in your favor.
Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Charlotte: frequently asked questions
How much does a workers’ comp lawyer cost in Charlotte, NC?
Nothing upfront. North Carolina workers’ comp attorneys work on contingency, and state law caps the customary fee at 25% of the compensation recovered, subject to Industrial Commission approval under N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-90. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
How long do I have to file a workers’ comp claim in North Carolina?
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file Form 18 with the Industrial Commission under N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-24, and you have to notify your employer in writing within 30 days under Section 97-22. For an occupational disease, the two-year clock usually starts when a doctor first tells you the condition is work related.
What happens if my workers’ comp claim is denied?
You can request a hearing before the Industrial Commission by filing Form 33. A Deputy Commissioner reviews medical records and testimony and issues a written decision, which either side can appeal to the Full Commission and then to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Strong medical documentation from the start matters at every stage of that process.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ comp claim in North Carolina?
No. The Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act makes it illegal for an employer to fire, demote, or retaliate against an employee for filing a workers’ comp claim in good faith. A worker who believes this happened has a separate REDA complaint process through the NC Department of Labor, on top of the workers’ comp claim itself.
Do I have to use the doctor my employer picks?
Usually yes. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. Section 97-25, the employer or its insurance carrier generally has the right to direct your initial medical treatment in an accepted claim. You can ask the Industrial Commission to approve a change of treating physician or a second opinion, and emergency treatment at the nearest hospital is always allowed.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer at all?
Workers’ comp lawyers in North Carolina work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost to hiring one. If you are not ready to hire anyone, the Industrial Commission’s Ombudsman Section answers questions about your rights and the claim forms for free at (800) 688-8349, whether or not you ever retain an attorney.
DJA Editorial
Legal Directory Research
Compiles Distinguished Justice Advocates city guides from public attorney directory profiles, court and statute sources, and publicly visible client reviews. Firms appear as a shortlist rather than a ranking. Figures a firm publishes about itself are labelled as such, and anything that could not be verified is flagged on the page rather than estimated.
