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D. Hardison Wood

“We Stand Up For You®, so you can Stand Up for those you love."

- Christopher H. Roberts

You hear it a lot in the legal profession: “I’ve handled hundreds of cases just like yours.” The truth isn’t that simple though. Every case is different. Every client has their own story, and it is our job to tell it right. That’s why I’m so happy to be practicing at a firm that gives each client the dignity they deserve. At the end of the day, we are working for justice. You can only do that by treating each case as unique.

Bio

Hardison Wood was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland with a BA in Philosophy & the History of Mathematics and Science. Prior to attending law school, Hardison worked in the government relations group of a large Washington, D.C. based law firm. He later moved to the New York area to work at then tech start-up, Priceline.com.

Hardison earned his legal degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, New York, focusing his studies on alternative dispute resolution. While in law school, Hardison worked for New York City’s Administrative Trials division, where he assisted with the city’s first-ever mandatory mediation program for its employees. His work was later published in the Ohio State Journal of Dispute Resolution. Hardison’s very first case out of law school was a 15-passenger van rollover involving fatalities and serious injuries. The case took years to bring to a conclusion, and it gave Hardison deep insights into catastrophic injury litigation early on in his career.

Hardison’s research interests include alternative dispute resolution theory, autonomous vehicles, and legislative apportionment. His advocacy interests include the products liability statute of repose, collateral source reform, expert witness evidentiary changes, and judicial selection reform.

Hardison currently lives in Wake County where he remains busy raising his five children. He also serves on the Board of the St. John’s College Alumni Association, where he is presently the Alumni Giving Council liaison.

Education

  • St. John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland, B.A. (1998)
  • Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York, New York, J.D. (2005)

Bar Admissions
And Memberships

  • United States District Court, Eastern, Middle, & Western Districts of North Carolina
  • State of North Carolina (all state courts)
  • American Association of Justice
  • North Carolina Advocates for Justice
  • North Carolina Bar Association
  • Wake County Bar Association

Awards

  • Martindale Hubble AV Preeminent (since 2009)
  • Outstanding Service Award (NCAJ, 2010)
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum (since 2011)
  • Best Lawyers in America (since 2014)
  • National Trial Lawyer’s Top 100 (since 2014)
  • Trial Lawyer Board of Regents Litigator Award (since 2014)
  • Super Lawyers (since 2015)

Book Chapters And Publications

  • Wood DH (Ed.). Products Liability. In: RM Elliot (Ed.), North Carolina: Prima Facie Tort Manual. North Carolina Advocates for Justice Foundation & LexisNexis, Raleigh, NC 2014; 455-506.
  • Wood DH (Ed.). Woodson Claims: Employer’s Intentional Tort Exception to Exclusive Remedy Provisions of the Worker’s Compensation Act. In: RM Elliot (Ed.), North Carolina: Prima Facie Tort Manual. North Carolina Advocates for Justice Foundation & LexisNexis, Raleigh, NC 2014; 581-600.
  • Ceccareli, B, Shovlin, J, Wood, DH. Autonomous vehicles will force authorities to reassess yellow-light formulas. Traffic Technology Today. (2015).
  • Wood, DH. Spotting Product Failures and Emerging Defects in Motor Vehicle Industry. Trial Briefs Magazine, June 2011, 13-17.
  • Wood, DH. Motorcycle Accidents & Products Liability. Trial Briefs Magazine, June 2011, 23-26.
  • Wood, DH, Leon, DM. Measuring Value in Mediation. 21 Ohio St. J. on Disp. Resol. 383 (2006).

Lectures And Speaking Engagements

  • “Statute of Repose Update.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina 2016 CLE.
  • “Daubert as Sword & Shield: Expert Testimony Post-McGrady.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2014 CLE.
  • “Button Cell Battery Litigation & Other Consumer Products.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Asheville, North Carolina, 2013 Fall Convention.
  • “Plaintiff’s Personal Injury from Start to Finish.” National Business Institute, 2013 CLE.
  • “Expert Testimony: The Changing Landscape.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2012 CLE.
  • “Recent Changes to Rule 702 of NC Rules of Evidence.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2012 CLE.
  • “Overlooked Products Claims in Auto Torts, Medmal, and Worker’s Comp.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Summer Convention, Wilmington, North Carolina, 2010.
  • “Electronic Defects in Motor Vehicle Litigation.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Paralegal Seminar, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2010.
  • “Preemption & Motor Vehicle Defect Litigation.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Fall Convention, Asheville, North Carolina, 2009.

Education

Bar Admissions
and Memberships

  • United States District Court, Eastern, Middle, & Western Districts of North Carolina
  • State of North Carolina (all state courts)
  • American Association of Justice
  • North Carolina Advocates for Justice
  • North Carolina Bar Association
  • Wake County Bar Association
  • Martindale Hubble AV Preeminent (since 2009)
  • Outstanding Service Award (NCAJ, 2010)
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum (since 2011)
  • Best Lawyers in America (since 2014)
  • National Trial Lawyer’s Top 100 (since 2014)
  • Trial Lawyer Board of Regents Litigator Award (since 2014)
  • Super Lawyers (since 2015)
  • Wood DH (Ed.). Products Liability. In: RM Elliot (Ed.), North Carolina: Prima Facie Tort Manual. North Carolina Advocates for Justice Foundation & LexisNexis, Raleigh, NC 2014; 455-506.
  • Wood DH (Ed.). Woodson Claims: Employer’s Intentional Tort Exception to Exclusive Remedy Provisions of the Worker’s Compensation Act. In: RM Elliot (Ed.), North Carolina: Prima Facie Tort Manual. North Carolina Advocates for Justice Foundation & LexisNexis, Raleigh, NC 2014; 581-600.
  • Ceccareli, B, Shovlin, J, Wood, DH. Autonomous vehicles will force authorities to reassess yellow-light formulas. Traffic Technology Today. (2015).
  • Wood, DH. Spotting Product Failures and Emerging Defects in Motor Vehicle Industry. Trial Briefs Magazine, June 2011, 13-17.
  • Wood, DH. Motorcycle Accidents & Products Liability. Trial Briefs Magazine, June 2011, 23-26.
  • Wood, DH, Leon, DM. Measuring Value in Mediation. 21 Ohio St. J. on Disp. Resol. 383 (2006).
  • “Statute of Repose Update.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina 2016 CLE.
  • “Daubert as Sword & Shield: Expert Testimony Post-McGrady.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2014 CLE.
  • “Button Cell Battery Litigation & Other Consumer Products.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Asheville, North Carolina, 2013 Fall Convention.
  • “Plaintiff’s Personal Injury from Start to Finish.” National Business Institute, 2013 CLE.
  • “Expert Testimony: The Changing Landscape.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2012 CLE.
  • “Recent Changes to Rule 702 of NC Rules of Evidence.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2012 CLE.
  • “Overlooked Products Claims in Auto Torts, Medmal, and Worker’s Comp.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Summer Convention, Wilmington, North Carolina, 2010.
  • “Electronic Defects in Motor Vehicle Litigation.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Paralegal Seminar, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2010.
  • “Preemption & Motor Vehicle Defect Litigation.” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Fall Convention, Asheville, North Carolina, 2009.

The Personal Injury Lawyers

Who'd Rather You Never Need Them

Kimberly and I met in 1992 as kindred spirits, both drawn to the idea of building something larger than ourselves—an extension of our family committed to serving others. We married in 1994, while I was practicing law, and Kimberly worked in healthcare consulting. We thought we understood how the legal system worked. Then September 19, 1995 changed everything.

It’s the worst possible situation to be in after a serious injury. I’m sitting across from a guy who’s supposed to be one of the better traumatic brain injury lawyers, but I’m realizing he doesn’t understand what Kimberly and I are going through!

I got hit by a tractor-trailer just two months before. My wife Kimberly—nineteen weeks pregnant with our first child—has had to watch me deal with personality changes, possible lifelong symptoms, and terrifying fears of our family's future.

What makes it all worse is the fact that I am a lawyer with years of experience, and yet even I can’t get the kind of representation we desperately need. It’s a scary situation.

I grew up in Charlotte. My mother was a teacher, my father a manager working with blue-collar contractors. My parents instilled in me a simple principle: stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. Becoming an Eagle Scout reinforced it.

Kimberly grew up in Rockingham, a small North Carolina community. Her parents, a nurse and a salesman, also instilled the importance of community service. Sunday mornings singing in youth prison ministry, working with rehabilitation centers, partnering with local organizations – all part of Kimberly’s youth and what shaped her heart.

My brain injury accident showed us that even being on the inside of the legal profession didn’t protect us from getting poor representation. Our lawyer didn’t really serve us well because he couldn’t put himself in our shoes.

After my personal injury, I knew exactly what kind of lawyer I wanted to be:

someone who truly understands what clients are going through because I've been there myself. Kimberly joined me, bringing her healthcare background and passion for wellness. We built our practice around a simple idea—we don't just handle your case, we understand your whole journey, and we prepare you for it.

Today we’ve been in business for 35 years and we’ve recovered billions of dollars for our clients, but more importantly, we’ve advanced our services to what we call “whole person legal care.” We don’t just fight for financial recovery—we address the physical, emotional, and mental needs that make up a whole person. We prepare people before accidents happen through safety education. We stand beside them during their recovery. And we help them figure out where to go when their time with us is done.

What drives us is knowing that if you know better, you have to do better. Through our Roberts Center, we give away thousands of bicycle helmets, teach CPR, provide scholarships, and run safety programs in schools because we’d rather prevent accidents happening to your family than litigate them.