James R. Harrell

Bio

James Harrell is a personal injury attorney at the Greensboro, North Carolina CR Legal Team office.

Known for a personalized approach, James takes the time to understand each client’s unique situation and provides clear, honest guidance every step of the way. Since joining CR Legal Team in 2016, he has assisted thousands of clients in a variety of cases, including car crashes, medical device defects, and exposure to toxic chemicals. With a proven track record of success and a genuine passion for helping those in need, James is dedicated to fighting for the rights of individuals who have been injured.

James grew up in Edenton, North Carolina. A proud graduate of Wake Forest’s School of Law, James has honed his legal expertise through rigorous academic training and years of real-world experience. Prior to law school, James earned a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his dedication to excellence and advocacy for others began.

When he is not in the office, James enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, hiking, and reading.

Education:

BA, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
JD, Wake Forest University School of Law

Bar Admissions and Memberships:

North Carolina State Courts
US Federal District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina

Memberships:

North Carolina State Bar
Guilford County Bar Association
North Carolina Advocates for Justice
American Association for Justice

Education

Bar Admissions
and Memberships

North Carolina State Bar
North Carolina Bar Association
Federal Western District of North Carolina
Federal Middle District of North Carolina
Federal Eastern District of North Carolina
Guilford County Bar Association
North Carolina Advocates for Justice

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.