About Michelle
Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar studied at North Carolina State University before earning her law degree from Campbell Law School. Her academic path kept her close to the communities she now serves. The combination of a public university and a regional law school helped shape her understanding of practice in North Carolina.
After law school she began practicing in North Carolina and built a practice around workers' compensation matters. Over time she developed experience handling the kinds of disputes that often arise when a workplace injury upsets a family's income and routine. She represents clients at different stages of claims, from initial filings to hearings before the Industrial Commission.
At Hardison & Cochran Lawyers at Law she is listed as a workers' compensation lawyer. Her work includes preparing claims, collecting medical and vocational evidence, and presenting cases in administrative proceedings. She also handles settlement discussions when those are in a client's interest, and she prepares matters for appeal when necessary.
Her role requires coordinating with treating physicians, vocational experts, and insurance adjusters. She prepares medical records and deposition materials and drafts the pleadings required under North Carolina's statutory framework. In hearings she makes factual and legal arguments on behalf of injured workers, often dealing with complex questions of disability, causation, and compensability.
The firm operates multiple offices across the state, and she handles matters out of those locations as the case demands. Colleagues describe her as practical in her case management and clear in client communication. She takes steps to explain procedural options, likely timelines, and possible outcomes so clients can make informed decisions.
She currently practices workers' compensation law at Hardison & Cochran Lawyers at Law.
