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Bill Bystrynski

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Bio

Attorney Bill Bystrynski has spent his legal career representing clients who have been victims of negligence. Bill has successfully handled a wide variety of such cases, advocating on behalf of those severely injured or killed by drunk drivers, unsafe truckers, fraternity hazing, defective medical devices, unsafe working conditions, and other negligent acts.

Bill has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2013, a widely regarded guide for legal excellence. He has also been named a Personal Injury “Super Lawyer” every year since the award was established. Additional honors include being named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in North Carolina by the American Association for Justice and receiving the highest Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating (AV Preeminent).

Supreme Court Cases

Bill has handled two significant cases that were argued at the U.S. Supreme Court. One case ultimately resulted in an $8.2 million verdict in the wrongful death of two children that was tried by Bill and fellow attorney David Kirby. The other was a case Bill filed fighting Medicaid’s policy of taking large portions of settlements from poor people who were victims of others’ negligence. In a 2013 opinion written by Justice Kennedy, North Carolina’s Medicaid law was struck down as unconstitutional. The case helped thousands of seriously injured people across the country by allowing them to keep more of the settlements they receive from those responsible for their injuries.

Education

Bill is a magna cum laude graduate of Hofstra University (B.A. 1979) where he was Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from the UNC School of Law (J.D. 1994) with honors.

Before practicing law, Bill spent 14 years as a newspaper reporter and as an editor at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. Bill continues to write articles for lawyers as well as lecture on a variety of topics. These topics include maximizing damages in wrongful death cases, investigating nursing home cases, dealing with arbitration clauses in medical malpractice cases, and avoiding traps in drafting lawsuits.

Bill is an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cary, N.C., and has served in a variety of roles there. In addition, he volunteers for Legal Aid and serves on the board of the Fellowship Home of Raleigh and several charitable foundations. Bill has been chairman of the Wake County Bar Association’s Scholarship Committee, which provides scholarships to deserving law students, for 20 years. He is a past board member of the Wake County Bar Association and serves on committees of the State and Wake County bars. He is married and has two sons, David and Jonathan.

Notable Cases

  • Wos v. E.M.A. – U.S. Supreme Court strikes down as unconstitutional Medicaid’s policy of taking large portions of settlements from poor people who were victims of others’ negligence.
  • $8.3 million verdict in the wrongful deaths of two boys killed in a bus crash.
  • $8.1 million settlement in death of a father of three following highway wreck.
  • $5.35 million settlement for a law enforcement officer killed in a truck accident.
  • $8.6 million settlement when drunk fraternity member kills three in a highway wreck.
  • $4.7 million settlement for the wrongful death of a college student during fraternity “hell week” hazing.
  • $6.0 million settlement in electrocution death of lifeguard.
  • $30.9 million settlement (following $25 million verdict) for a 5-year-old girl who was trapped by a defective pool drain and seriously injured as a result.
  • $4.6 million verdict for a woman who sustained a brain injury after being struck by the driver of a repo wrecker.
  • $3.75 million settlement for a worker who was struck and injured by a truck.
  • $4 million settlement for a client left paralyzed after a truck driver dropped a delivery load on him.
  • $4.5 million settlement for unfair trade practices involving stolen business.

Awards

 

  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2023
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2022
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
  • Super Lawyers, 2021
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Personal Injury: General
    • Personal Injury: Products
  • Best Lawyers, 2013
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Contact Bill today

Call (919) 780-5400 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation. You won’t pay unless we win!