John Cooper

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers

37 years of experience

North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

John M. Cooper is one of the founding partners at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers and a veteran of Virginia personal injury law practice. A native Virginian, he was raised in Norfolk and Virginia Beach by parents who practiced law. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1988, John returned home to work for a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, which launched his passion for and career in personal injury law.

For over 30 years, John has worked closely with injured victims and their families and knows the long-term and devastating consequences that auto accidents, railroad accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful deaths can have. John also understands that catastrophic cases are complex and require extensive time, skill, and resources to properly litigate in court. This knowledge and experience has helped him to become a highly effective, results-oriented litigation attorney who has won millions and millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients.

In 2020, John and his team obtained the largest reported recovery in Virginia that year, $6.5 Million, for a single car accident plaintiff who become quadriplegic after his accident. John’s other recent results include a $5.8 Million settlement for a traumatic brain injury victim and a $4,725,000 settlement for an auto accident victim who suffered vision impairment and multiple fractures.

John’s strong record has earned him numerous honors, including a Top Lawyer designation by Coastal Virginia Magazine, a VA “Super Lawyer” designation, and an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell for his reputation in the practice of law. He is also rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo and is ranked among the top 100 trial lawyers in Virginia. John served for a decade on the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors and served as Chair of the FELA Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice from 2011 to 2017.

Personal Injury
Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
Fees
  • Free Consultation
North Carolina
North Carolina State Bar
Since 2001
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Languages

  • English:
    Spoken, Written
  • Spanish:
    Spoken

Founding Partner
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
2011 –

Current

Managing Partner in charge of injury and accident litigation, specializing in catastrophic cases such as wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries and railroad disasters. Focuses in FELA (railroad worker injuries), tractor trailer wrecks, and motorcycle crashes.
Partner
Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton, P.C.
1997 –

2011

Partner handling exclusively plaintiff’s personal injury work in firm concentrating in F.E.L.A. cases; emphasis in railroad injury law, as well as automobile, products liability, and medical malpractice injury practice; strong trial experience, particularly multi-state litigation.

Personal Injury Attorney
Kalfus & Nachman, P.C.
1995 –

1997

Personal injury attorney in high volume plaintiff practice; responsible for large set of automobile, premises liability and medical malpractice cases.

Senior Litigation Associate
Croshaw, Beale, Hauser & Lewis, P.C.
1989 –

1995

emphasizing plaintiff’s personal injury practice with substantial courtroom experience in medical malpractice, personal injury, commercial litigation, and criminal law.

Law clerk
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Divsion
1988 –

1989

Law clerk to the Honorable Rebecca Beach Smith (currently senior federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division), drafting memoranda, opinions, and orders in civil and criminal cases
University of Virginia School of Law
J.D. (1988) | Law
1986


1988

University of Virginia School of Law Logo
University of California – Berkeley
B.A. (1985) | Anthropology
1982


1985

Honors: Phi Beta Kappa (academic honor society)
University of California - Berkeley Logo
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2024
Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginia Magazine
2024
Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginia Magazine
2023
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2022
Legal Elite
Virginia Business
2022

Top Lawyer of Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginia Magazine
2022
Top 50 Settlements Motor Vehicle Accidents
Top Verdict
2021
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2021
Lawyers of Distinction – Personal Injury Law
Lawyers of Distinction
2021
Top Lawyer of Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginia Magazine
2021
AV Preeminent
Martindale-Hubbell
2020
Top AV rating since 2004 by the Martindale-Hubbell attorney reputation assessment system, showing the highest level of skill and ethics
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2020
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2010 – 2013, 2015 – 2020 Listed among VA Super Lawyers for personal injury law since 2010 (only 5% of lawyers get this listing)
Client Champion – Silver
Martindale-Hubbell
2020
Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia
CoVa Biz Magazine
2020
CoVa BIZ’s Top Lawyers peer-to-peer survey conducts polls in the legal field to identify the attorneys who exemplify excellence in their various fields. Cova Biz lists the top rated legal professionals in the Coastal Virginia area.
Leaders in the Law
Virginia Lawyers Weekly
2019
The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100
The National Trail Lawyers
2019
Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia
CoVa Biz Magazine
2019
CoVa BIZ’s Top Lawyers peer-to-peer survey conducts polls in the legal field to identify the attorneys who exemplify excellence in their various fields. Cova Biz lists the top rated legal professionals in the Coastal Virginia area.
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2019
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2018
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2017
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2016
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2015
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2013
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2012
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2011
Super Lawyer
Super Lawyers
2010
Top Lawyer
Coastal Virginia Magazine
Recognized by CoVa Magazine for Personal Injury and Legacy.
Ranked Superb 10 out of 10
Avvo
Ranked 10 of 10 (superb) by AVVO, a national lawyer assessment service

Brain Injury Association of Virginia

Member
Current
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Virginia Beach Bar Association

Member
Current
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Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association

Member
Current
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Virginia Trial Lawyers Association

Member
Current
Activities: Board of Governors
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American Association for Justice

Member
Current
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American Association of Justice

Leaders Forum
2021 –
Current
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Articles & Publications
Everything a Biker Needs to Know About Motorcycle Accidents in Virginia
The Best Book About Virginia Trucking Accidents
Top 19 Tips for Car, Truck or Motorcycle Accidents
Your Rights When You Are Injured On the Railroad
The Traumatic Brain Injury Toolkit: Everything a Client Needs to Know After Suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
2021

The Best Book About Virginia Car Accidents & Injuries- Fourth Edition
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
2019
The Best Book About Virginia Trucking Accidents
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
2014

Websites & Blogs

Website
Blog


Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Norfolk, VA Office
125 St Pauls Blvd
Ste 510
Norfolk, VA 23510
US
Telephone: (757) 333-3333
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Virginia Beach, VA Office
200 South Kellam Rd, Ste 101
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
US
Telephone: (757) 309-4711
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Chesapeake, VA Office
512 Albemarle, Suite 102
Chesapeake, VA 23322
US
Telephone: (757) 410-7301
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Hampton, VA Office
50 Queen Wy W
Suite 100
Hampton, VA 23669
US
Telephone: (757) 224-5477
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Newport News, VA Office
13195 Warwick Blvd
Suite 2-B1
Newport News, VA 23602
US
Telephone: (757) 369-0944
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Portsmouth, VA Office
355 Crawford St
Suite 600-D
Portsmouth, VA 23704
US
Telephone: (757) 966-2371
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Suffolk, VA Office
215 Market St
Suffolk, VA 23434
US
Telephone: (757) 226-0046
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
1206 Laskin Rd #200
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
US
Telephone: (757) 333-3333
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Exmore, VA Office
3443 Virginia Ave
Exmore, VA 23350
US
Telephone: (757) 226-7689
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours (Today)
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Free Consultation
John Cooper

(757) 333-3333