John M. McCabe Profile

John McCabe is an award-winning litigator and widely regarded as one of North Carolina’s top attorneys.

John’s passion for law started early, shaping his commitment to making a real difference. This passion carried through to his career, where he has spent over three decades helping those injured by the unsafe and dangerous conduct of others.

John’s success and dedication to his clients have earned him widespread recognitions. He has been named to the Best Lawyers in America and recognized as a North Carolina Super Lawyer every year since 2010. His accolades include being named “Lawyer of the Year” for personal injury in 2022, and consistently ranking among the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys and the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina. He has also been named to North Carolina’s Legal Elite and North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly’s Power List for Personal Injury Lawyers. For the last 20 years, John has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, which signifies exceptional legal ability and the highest ethical standards.

Since 2016, John’s firm has been recognized as one of the Best Law Firms in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Throughout his career, John has been a leader in the legal community. He served as President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), one of the nation’s largest trial lawyer organizations, in 2021-2022. In addition, John currently serves as a North Carolina state delegate for the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and he chairs the Board of Visitors at Campbell University School of Law.

John is not just an advocate for his clients – he also fights to change unfair laws that hurt everyone. Recently, John spearheaded groundbreaking changes to automobile insurance laws, improving the opportunity for accident victims to be fairly compensated for their damages. These changes increased mandatory automobile liability insurance limits for the first time in decades and abolished an unfair credit that allowed insurance companies to avoid providing the level of coverage that people had purchased. In recognition of John’s extraordinary service, NCAJ recently renamed its special award the Henson McCabe Miller Leadership Award to honor him and two esteemed colleagues.

This wasn’t the first time John worked to change the law. One of John’s most prolific cases came just a few years after law school, when he took the case of a young mother named Kellie and her daughter, who were catastrophically injured when a Department of Transportation dump truck hit their vehicle head-on. At that time, the law capped damages in cases against the state to $150,000, less than half of what Kellie needed to pay her medical bills. Recognizing how unfair this was, John worked tirelessly to get the law changed to raise the limit to $500,000, and the resulting settlement for Kellie’s family was 10 times more than what the state initially offered. NCAJ created an award to recognize John’s work on that case – the Kellie Crabtree Award – which honors clients and their attorneys whose efforts make a profound difference in protecting people’s rights.

John’s commitment to service extends far beyond the courtroom. As a lifelong resident of Cary, he has dedicated himself to improving his community in many ways – from coaching youth basketball to supporting organizations like Catholic Charities and the YMCA. An avid tennis player, John serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation, which offers educational opportunities for under-resourced children across North Carolina. John also created a scholarship at Campbell Law School to recognize students who volunteer and give back to their communities.

• Personal Injury
• Trucking Collisions
• Car Accidents
• Medical Negligence
• Defective Products
• On-the-Job Accidents
• Workers' Compensation
• Nursing Home Negligence
• Legal Malpractice
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Slip and Falls
• Dog Bites
• Sexual Abuse

• North Carolina, 1994
• U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

• Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Buies Creek, North Carolina
  • J.D. - 1994
  • Honors: With Honors
  • Honors: Who's Who Among American Law Students
  • Honors: Member of Two National Moot Court Teams
  • Honors: Author, McCabe Outlines
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • A.B. - 1991
  • Major: Economics

• Featured on Investigative Discovery Channel's "Deadly Devotion" television documentary entitled "Pledging Your Life" for his case arising out of hazing death at East Carolina University.
• Raleigh News & Observer Front Page: "Bill Raises State's Liability."
• Charlotte Observer Front Page: "N.C. Payments For Injuries Don't Come Close to Needs."
• Raleigh News & Observer: "Suit Says Sorority Hazing Lead to ECU Student's Fatal Death."
• Greensboro News & Record: "Rockingham County Settles Suit in Boy's Death."
• The Daily Reflector (Greenville, NC), Two-Part Series: "Hazing Allegations Persist."
• WRAL TV (Raleigh, NC): "Day Care Owner Charged With Abuse."
• WRAL TV (Raleigh, NC): "Day Cares Aren't Required To Have Insurance."
• WNCT TV (Greenville, NC): "Five Years Later: Who's To Blame For Deadly Accident?"
• WCTI TV (New Bern, NC): "Suits Filed in Death of Sorority Pledges."
• WRAL TV (Raleigh, NC): "Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleges Hazing Lead to ECU Student's Death."
• NCAJ Trial Brief: "A Tale of Two Stories & The Search For The Truth -- Cracking the Code of Silence in Unprecedented Deadly Accident Case."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Plaintiffs Recover $13 Million For Child's Quadriplegia From Defective Booster Seat."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Closed Head Injuries, Fractures Yield $2 Million Settlement."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Motorist Hit by NCDOT Truck Gets $1.75 Million Settlement on State Tort Claim."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Woodson Claim Settled For Confidential Amount & $2.28 Million Comp Settlement."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Confidential Settlement For Worker Whose Arm Was Caught in Conveyor Machine & Who Sued British Manufacturer For Inadequate Guards."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Parties Settle For $1.3 Million After Unborn Twin Dies in Automobile Collision."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Estate of Man Hit By Robbery Suspects Gets $750K UM Claim.”
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Ankle Sprain Resulting in Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Leads to Workers' Compensation Settlement."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "High Court Gives Woodson Claim Green Light."
• North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly: "Mother Sues Rockingham DSS Over Child's Death."
• CBS 17 TV (Raleigh, NC): "Who's Responsible When Dump Truck Debris Cracks Your Windshield? It's Complicated."

• "The Investigation & Analysis of Personal Injury Cases" , Personal Injury Practice in North Carolina, 1st Ed., 2011
• "Emerging Issues in Personal Injury Law", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2010
• "The Investigation and Handling of Personal Injury Cases", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2009
• "Putting The Hammer Down on Unsafe Trucks", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2008
• "Trucking Litigation and D.O.T. Regulations", Lorman Seminar, 2007
• "The Doctrine of Statutory Employment: Holding Motor Carries Liable for The Negligence of Leased Vehicles & Drivers", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2005
• "Achieving Favorable Settlements in North Carolina", National Business Institute, 2005
• "The In's and Out's of Civil Discovery", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, March, 2004
• Coordinating Editor, "Commercial Trucking Cases", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, February, 2004
• "The Rules of the Road - Understanding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, February, 2004
• "Advanced Civil Discovery", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Winter Convention , October, 2003
• "Practical Trial Skills," North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers", Continuing Legal Education Program, 2001
• "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2002
• "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2003
• "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2004
• "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2005
• "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2006
• Coordinating Editor, "Handling Your First Jury Trial From A to Z", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, December, 2002
• "The Rules of Civil Discovery", Institute for Paralegal Education's Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in North Carolina, September, 2002
• "Setting Up The Winning Deposition", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Continuing Education Program, January, 2002
• "Exhibits in Personal Injury Cases", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, July, 2001
• "Effective Use of Exhibits and Experts in Auto Torts Cases", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Winter Convention, October, 2000
• "Examining DiDonato's Damage Limitations And Mandatory Joinder Requirements - Greer v. Parsons", Campbell Law Review, 1992

• Speaker & Author, “Objections & Motions in Civil Practice,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice Summer Conference, 2017
• Speaker, “Ethical Interplays Between Attorneys and Claims Adjusters,” North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, 2017
• Faculty, “Building Trial Skills,” National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 2017
• Speaker & Author, “Concurrent Third-Party Claims,” Workers’ Compensation Roundtable, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2017
• Speaker, Communication & Facilitation of the Return to Work or Retraining Process,” International Association of Rehabilitation Professional’s Carolinas’ Educational Conference, 2016
• Speaker, “Effective Mediation Presentations,” Duke University School of Law, 2016
• Speaker, “Case Selection & Case Management,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2016
• Speaker, “Effective Trial Techniques – How To Try Cases and Win,” Wake Forest University School of Law, 2015 & 2016
• Speaker & Featured Trial Lawyer, “A Mock Mediation How To Bring Calm to Chaos Moving Forward in the Face of Challenging Circumstances,” North Carolina Bar Association, 2015
• Speaker, “Jury Trials: What Made It Go North or South,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2015
• Speaker, "Jury Trials: What Made It Go North or South", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2015 to 2015
• Featured Trial Lawyer, "Trial of a Motor Vehicle Accident ? Live Trial CLE" , North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2013 to 2013
• Speaker, "Starting Your Own Law Firm", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2013 to 2013
• Speaker, "Successful Depositions", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2012 to 2012
• Chair, "Demystifying The State Tort Claims Act", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2012 to 2012
• Author & Speaker, "The Rules of the Road in Trucking Cases", North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers Association, 2011 to 2011
• Chair, "Nuts and Bolts of Personal Injury Practice", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2009 to 2009
• Speaker, "The Investigation and Handling of Personal Injury Cases", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2009 to 2009
• Speaker, "Putting The Hammer Down on Unsafe Trucks", North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2008 to 2008
• Speaker, "Trucking Litigation and D.O.T. Regulations", Lorman Seminar , 2007 to 2007
• Speaker, "Practical Trial Skills", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing Legal Education Program, 2001 to 2006
• Speaker, "The Doctrine of Statutory Employment: Holding Motor Carries Liable for The Negligence of Leased Vehicles & Drivers", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2005 to 2005
• Speaker, "Achieving Favorable Settlements in North Carolina", National Business Institute, 2005 to 2005
• Speaker, "The In's and Out's of Civil Discovery," North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Continuing, Legal Education Program, 2004 to 2004
• "The Rules of the Road - Understanding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, 2004 to 2004
• Speaker, "Advanced Civil Discovery", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Winter Convention, 2003 to 2003
• Guest Lecturer, Trial Advocacy Courses, University of North Carolina School of Law, 2001 to 2003
• Coordinating Editor, "Handling Your First Jury Trial From A to Z", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' TRIAL BRIEF Publication, 2002 to 2002
• Speaker, "The Rules of Civil Discovery", Institute for Paralegal Education's Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in North Carolina, 2002 to 2002
• Speaker, "Setting Up The Winning Deposition", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Continuing Education Program, 2002 to 2002
• Speaker, "Representing Psychological Injured Workers In Workers' Compensation Claims", North Carolina Industrial Commission's Sixth Annual North Carolina Workers? Compensation Educational Conference, 2001 to 2001
• Guest Lecturer, "Medicine for Lawyers", Campbell University Norman A. Wiggins School of Law, 2001 to 2001
• Co-Chair, "Getting the Most Out of Your Personal Injury Case: Winning, Collecting, and Keeping Your Damages", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Continuing Legal Education Program, 2001 to 2001
• Speaker, "Effective Use of Exhibits and Experts in Auto Torts Cases", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers' Winter Convention, 2000 to 2000
• Speaker, "Effective Representation of Parties to Form 24 Informal Hearings", North Carolina Industrial Commission's Third Annual North Carolina Workers' Compensation Educational Conference, 09/14/1998 to 09/16/1998
• Speaker & Author, “Depositions – What I’ve Learned & My Greatest Challenges,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice Summer Conference, 2017
• Speaker & Author, “Practical Considerations for Maximizing Settlement Potential,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2018

• Best Lawyers: 2022 Lawyer of the Year - Personal Injury Litigation for Plaintiffs
• Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys in North Carolina by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys
• North Carolina Super Lawyer, as selected by Fellow Attorneys
• AV Rated (Exceptional Legal Ability and Highest Level of Ethics) by Martindale Hubbell
• Best Lawyers In America, as selected by Fellow Attorneys
• Platinum Member, The Verdict Club (an Elite Society of Litigators that Have Been Awarded Verdicts and Settlements Exceeding One Million Dollars)
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina, as selected by the American Association for Justice
• Top 100 Litigation Lawyers in North Carolina by The American Society of Legal Advocates
• Top Rated North Carolina Lawyer, appearing in the Raleigh News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, and The Wall Street Journal
• Best Law Firms in the United States, U.S. New & World Report
• Litigator Award 2015 (top 1% of lawyers in the country)
• John McCabe to receive 2015 Ebbie Award from NCAJ
• John McCabe named to “North Carolina Legal Elite.”
• “Nation’s Top 1% Attorneys” by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel
• Best Lawyers In America, 2010- present
• Best Law Firms in America, U.S. News & World Report
• North Carolina Super Lawyer, 2011 - Present
• North Carolina Legal Elite
• Avvo Rated 10/10 (Superb)
• Personal Injury Lawyer of the Month, Attorney At Law magazine

• Youth Basketball Coach, Apex Parks & Recreation Dept. , 2006 to Present
• Active supporter and annual sponsor of Catholic Charities
• Sponsor of Rally for Recovery
• Sponsor of Youth Basketball, Baseball, & Softball Teams in Cary and Apex, NC
• Active volunteer with the North Carolina Lawyers' Assistance Program
• Eucharist Minister & Reader, Sacred Heart Cathedral
• Created scholarship at Campbell Law School recognizing law students who volunteer and give back to their communities.
• Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (papal honor)
• Extraordinary Minister, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, NC.
• Mass Coordinator, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, NC.
• Lector, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh, NC.
• Dean’s Dozen, Campbell Law School
• Youth Basketball Coach, Apex Parks & Recreation Dept., 2006 - Present
• Sponsor of the Mid-Atlantic Tire Tennis Championship, Cary
• Knight Commander, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (papal honor)