Meet Justin Osborn
Over the last 16 years (nine of which he spent as a defense lawyer), Justin has successfully handled catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases of all size and magnitude. With a deep investigative and creative approach, Justin has obtained multi-million dollar recoveries in cases that other law firms rejected or said were impossible. Justin is licensed to practice in North Carolina and South Carolina but maintains a nationwide network of injury lawyers to help clients wherever they suffer an accident.
Justin’s Legal Career
Before opening Osborn Injury Lawyers, Justin previously founded and served as the President of another North Carolina personal injury law firm. Starting in a 125 sq ft shared office space, Justin grew that firm to seven lawyers, opened two office locations, and recovered more than $25,000,000 for clients in six years under his leadership.
In 2019, Justin was honored by his peers as a “Leader in the Law” by North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly as “one of the most influential members of North Carolina’s legal community.” From 2020-2024, he was inducted in the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (fewer than 1% of US lawyers are members), and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum (fewer than 1% of US lawyers are members). But most important to him, Justin is the proud creator of a legal accessibility and outreach program that received state and national awards, which led to his former law firm being named the 2020 NC Bar Association Pro Bono Small Firm of the Year.
In what feels like a former life, Justin began his career as a defense lawyer for national and transnational insurance carriers. He defended small businesses, corporations, professionals, and insurance carriers in catastrophic claims, insurance coverage disputes, and risk management crises. Before law school, Justin was a total loss adjuster for a national insurance company. Justin brings this experience and insight into the insurance process – from claims evaluation through litigation – into his cases to benefit his clients.
Education
Justin is a proud tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation and was one of the first in his family to obtain a college degree. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Practice Areas
- Catastrophic personal injury
- Trucking accident cases
- Premises liability
- Wrongful death
- Burn and paralysis cases
Professional Associations
- North Carolina State Bar, Admitted August 2010
- South Carolina State Bar, Admitted October 2012
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Tenth Judicial District Bar Association
- Wake County Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
Awards
- “Leader in the Law” by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
- Member – Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society (2019 – 2023)
- Member – Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Notable Wins
- $4,750,000 – for a victim burned in a fire
- $2,500,000 – for a worker burned in a commercial kitchen gas explosion
- $1,850,000 – for auto accident victims hit by commercial truck
- $1,800,000 – for a premises victim who fell into a service pit at an auto repair shop
- $1,150,000 – for a premises victim who was injured in a recreation area
- $1,000,000 – for a premises victim who fell in a recreation area
- $600,000 – for a dog attack victim who knocked down by a unleashed dog
- $450,000 – for a dog bite victim attacked by a dog
- $375,000 – for a pedestrian victim hit by a commercial vehicle
- $262,500 – for a child neglected in day care
- $262,500 – for a child neglected in a day care
- $250,000 – for child abused in a day care
Speaking Engagements
- Matters: A Clio Podcast, Episode 11 – “How to Provide Great Client While Working from Anywhere” (2022)
- Maximum Lawyer Podcast, Episode 338 – “RV Mobile Office with Justin Osborn” (2020)
- Omega Psi Phi Leadership Conference – “Risk Management, Incident Reports, and Investigations” (2015)
- Omega Psi Phi Undergraduate Summit – “Hazing: Personal Risks and Accountability” (2015)
- 31st Annual North Carolina Health Directors’ Legal Conference – “Risk Management & Malpractice Liability” (2012)
Our Injury Lawyers Can Help
Our legal team – from top to bottom – takes pride in supporting and fighting for clients in their time of need. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Carolina Coast to the Lowcountry of South Carolina, our Raleigh injury lawyers have experience in every jurisdiction across the Carolinas. If our injury lawyers are unable to recover monetary damages on your behalf, you owe us nothing.
(919) 935-5555
Following law school, he began his legal career working at one of the largest personal injury firms in North Carolina with a great team of mentors, handling hundreds of files, including car wrecks, dog bites, premises liability, construction injury, worker’s compensation and many other types of personal injury cases. In 2022, Santiago was part of the inaugural class of NCAJ’s NEXT program, which fosters future leaders in North Carolina’s legal industry. In 2023, Santiago moved to a small litigation team firm in Raleigh, handling catastrophic injury cases. In April of 2025 he was asked by his prior boss to join him on a new venture, Osborn Injury Lawyers, as part of a small, dedicated boutique litigation firm in the heart of downtown Raleigh.
Santiago focuses his practice on trucking cases, dog bite cases, burn cases and construction injuries. When not litigating aggressively for his clients, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, and their two fox-red labs, Chorizo and Vienna.