Matthew Harbin

I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. My family has a strong tradition of serving the community; my father taught for more than 30 years in the public school system and my mother runs a food bank as well as serving as an assistant director of a senior center. I entered the legal profession because it would be an opportunity to serve my community in a similar manner.I moved to North Carolina in 1993, having not yet completed college. In 1995, I was admitted to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While in school, I worked full-time and participated in several campus organizations. It was during this time that I decided to enter the legal profession. I graduated from undergraduate school with honors in 1997, and was admitted to University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill’s  that same year. While in law school, I was involved with several pro-bono projects and was a member of the moot court team.

After earning my law degree, I began working for a small law firm in Raleigh representing injured workers in their workers’ compensation claims. I had the opportunity to represent people who were owed unpaid overtime, regular, or vacation wages from their employers, as well as individuals who were wrongfully terminated from employment.

I was fortunate to have had an opportunity to work for the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC) as a Special Deputy Commissioner. At the Commission, I decided whether injured workers should continue to receive benefits and decided disputes about their medical treatment. I also reviewed settlement agreements and entered Orders approving them when they complied with North Carolina Workers’ Compensation law.

I am married and have two children, and continue to be active in my community as a member of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Raleigh. I joined the workers’ compensation team at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in February of 2003. I believe that my NCIC experience gives me a unique insight into workers’ compensation cases in North Carolina. Because I understand the decision process at the NCIC for workers’ compensation claims, I can use this insight while representing my current workers’ compensation clients.

Life can seem to come to a grinding halt when you have experienced an on-the-job injury. Your problems may seem insurmountable and the system of laws governing workers’ compensation complex and hard to understand. Because we understand the law concerning workers’ compensation in North Carolina, we can help you move forward with your life by counseling you about your workers’ compensation claim. We are here to protect injured workers.