About Reid Acree,
Workers' Compensation Attorney
Proudly serving Salisbury and injured workers across North Carolina with focused, board-certified workers' compensation representation rooted in personal service, years of legal experience, and steady guidance.
Built Around Focused Workers' Compensation Representation
Workers' compensation cases in North Carolina follow specific rules, procedures, and deadlines through the N.C. Industrial Commission, and not every lawyer concentrates on this system. M. Reid Acree, Jr., Attorney at Law, P.A. built his practice around representing injured workers and those suffering from occupational diseases, rather than dividing attention across unrelated areas of law. As a Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law with more than 27 years of representing injured workers, he meets the standards set by the North Carolina State Bar for specialty certification in this very specific field. That focused background means clients receive consistent, informed guidance grounded in decades of handling work injury and occupational disease claims.
My mission is to provide clear, steady guidance to injured North Carolina workers so they can protect their medical care, wage benefits, and long-term stability. When you need me, I am available to talk (and that includes nights and weekends).
A Turning Point That Shaped the Practice
Reid Acree did not begin his career representing injured workers. Early in his legal career, he worked in Atlanta and Raleigh representing insurance companies and employers in insurance defense, workers' compensation and employment matters.
About a decade into that work, a single case changed his direction.
On the way to a mediation involving a seriously injured worker, Reid briefly encountered the man and his young son in the hallway. The child hesitated to respond when spoken to, and his father gently reminded him to look someone in the eye and say hello. Reid realized that this was the same man he was preparing to oppose in mediation - a case where the outcome would have a life-altering impact.
That moment brought a clear realization. Continuing to represent insurance carriers in cases like this no longer aligned with the kind of work he wanted to do. He realized that "if he died tomorrow" no one would care that he had practiced law because all he had ever done was protect employers and insurance carriers.
He made a decision to change course and only represent injured workers. That shift has defined his practice ever since. His purpose in life is to represent injured workers.
Today, his sole work is helping people navigate difficult situations involving serious injuries and occupational diseases, with the goal of making a meaningful difference where it matters most. He loves what he does and the fact that he helps people as opposed to corporations.
“I want to pass the grocery store test.
That means when you see me later — at the grocery store, out in town, anywhere — you don’t turn the other way. You come up and say hello.
That’s the standard I try to meet in every case.”
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What You Can Expect From the Way We Practice
Focused Certification
Board certification in workers' compensation law is granted only to attorneys who meet the North Carolina State Bar's specialty standards, reflecting substantial involvement and demonstrated competence in this area. For you, that means working with a board certified workers' comp specialist whose practice is centered on the rules and procedures that control your claim.
Clear Scope, Clear Focus
The firm represents injured workers in workplace injury cases and occupational disease claims, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. You do not have to wonder whether your condition fits-work injury and occupational disease representation are his only practice areas.
Direct, Straightforward Communication
When you call, you expect real answers and realistic expectations, not vague promises. Clients receive direct, structured guidance about what to expect from filings, hearings, medical treatment disputes, and potential settlement discussions. Calls are returned days, nights and weekends.
Local Office, Statewide Reach
With a physical office in Salisbury, clients in Rowan County know exactly where to turn for in-person meetings and direct contact. At the same time, representation extends across North Carolina for workers in metro, industrial and rural regions. Has handled claims from Murphy to the Outer Banks.
Rooted in Salisbury, Serving North Carolina
From the Salisbury office near the Rowan County Courthouse and Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, the firm serves injured workers throughout Rowan County and surrounding communities. Having a centrally-located, physical office location provides reassurance for clients who want to meet face to face and speak directly with their attorney.
Workers across the state—including those in Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Asheville, and Winston-Salem—also seek guidance when they need focused workers' compensation representation.
Occupational disease cases often involve years of exposure, delayed diagnosis, and difficult medical questions. For over 27 years, Reid Acree has focused on representing workers and families facing conditions such as asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other exposure-related illnesses.
He has handled thousands of North Carolina asbestos disease cases and regularly works with attorneys from other states on claims involving North Carolina exposure.
The following examples reflect the kind of cases handled and the outcomes achieved in this area.
Longstanding Focus on Occupational Disease Cases
Successfully litigated and won the first workers’ compensation claim in North Carolina linking colon cancer to asbestos exposure (Jesse Bill Childress v. Fluor Daniel).
Secured $246,000 in attendant care benefits for a widow who provided daily care to her husband suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer (James Leroy Wallace v. Becon).
Obtained a $500,000 settlement in an asbestos-related lung cancer case after successfully prevailing at trial (Spry v. Norandal).
Negotiated and resolved numerous asbestos disease claims exceeding $250,000, despite the the strict monetary limitations on workers’ compensation benefits.
Recovered several hundred thousand in an occupational asthma claim caused by 37 years of workplace exposure to poultry dust and waste materials.
Handled what is believed to be the first recognized “tobacco worker’s lung” claim in North Carolina, involving 32 years of exposure to tobacco dust in a processing facility.
As occupational disease claims have become less frequent, a significant portion of Reid Acree’s practice has shifted toward serious workplace injury cases. These claims often involve injuries to the spine, shoulders, knees, and other areas that directly affect a person’s ability to work and earn a living.
Many of these cases involve disputes over benefits, return-to-work issues, or attempts by employers or insurers to limit or deny claims. The following examples reflect the type of work handled and the outcomes achieved in injury-related cases.
Experience Handling Serious Work Injury Claims
Successfully litigated and won a claim for a manufacturing worker after the employer attempted to set aside the claim based on alleged fraud. After three years of heated litigation and winning at trial, the case was resolved for a value exceeding $1.3 million.
Increased the value of a non-surgical neck injury claim from $900 to $85,000, allowing the client to move from living in a car into stable housing. Later successfully represented the same individual in a Social Security disability claim.
Litigated a non-lost-time claim for three years and obtained a $305,000 settlement. (Answered 2,560 emails from the client during those three years).
Increased the value of a cervical spine case from $35,000 to $105,000 after identifying non-workers' comp factors affecting the client's employment.
Blocked the approval of a $31,000 settlement at the Industrial Commission, later negotiating the claim to a value of $135,000.
Structured a lifetime benefits resolution using an annuity to provide the injured worker with greater long-term weekly income than standard workers’ compensation benefits, even after fees.
“This isn’t my case — it’s your case.”
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Get Clear Answers From a Board-Certified Specialist
If you are comparing lawyers, you may be asking whether Reid Acree is board certified in workers' compensation law, whether the firm handles occupational diseases like mesothelioma, or how quickly can I speak with the lawyer. Those questions matter, because choosing the right attorney can affect your medical care, wage replacement, and long-term benefits. Reid is one of about 115 claimant's attorneys certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a workers' compensation specialist.
M. Reid Acree, Jr., Attorney at Law, P.A. focuses exclusively on workers' compensation law. He represents clients all over the state with work injuries and occupational diseases. His office is centrally-located in Salisbury, NC which affords him easy access to the rest of NC.
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Credentials & Achievements
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Law (Top 1% in Florida)
Recognized for special knowledge and skill by The Florida Bar - 60+ Jury Trials to Verdict — Real trial experience, not just talk
- 10+ Years in Litigation — Battle-tested in and out of the courtroom
- Former Prosecutor (2012–2017) — 100% Homicide conviction rate
- 2019 Trial Advocacy Scholarship Winner
- Suepr Lawyers: Rising stars, Top 100 Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Six and Seven-Figure Settlements and Verdicts — Including major cases for catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and more
