No Fees Unless
You Win*
We found ourselves in an alien world, you think you understand the legal system, but you don’t.
-Dan & Tracy
We’ve Studied Their Game. Now We Play for Your Team.
Practice Areas
Big Firm Experience, Small Firm Touch
Once we decided representing the insurance companies wasn’t for us, we turned our focus toward serving individuals like you. We value the one-to-one relationships we make with our clients. We’re not a huge firm that will shuffle your case around between attorneys who don’t know your story. With us, it’s truly personal.
We Will Outwork the Other Side
Preparation is half the battle. We believe that each case is won or lost long before entering the courtroom. Our attorneys will outwork the other side and understand that preparation is the key to success.
We Will Go the Distance
With our background defending insurance companies in the past, we know how to prepare for their arguments — and their tricks. Our knowledge has helped us build stronger cases and aim for bigger verdicts. You can trust us to go to trial if necessary with all the tools to be your fiercest advocate in court.
100% Personal Injury, 100% of the Time
Standing up for the injured is what we’re proud to do. We want to help you and your family move forward from the unimaginable losses you suffered. As exclusively plaintiff’s lawyers, you can feel confident your rights as a personal injury victim will be upheld as we go after all the damages you could be owed.
Facial burns from chemical spill resulting in permanent injuries.
Record Breaking Workers’ Compensation Settlement
For a worker who fell 12 feet and sustained TBI and spinal cord injury.
Worker injured and suffered a TBI
Hand railing collapse on VRBO rental house resulted in severe orthopedic injuries
Minor bit in the face by a dog.
Slip and Fall from Leaking Commercial Refrigerator
Nick Mendez is the Founding and Managing Partner of Horton & Mendez, leading the firm’s vision, strategy, and growth across North Carolina while remaining deeply committed to representing individuals who have been seriously injured. Based in Wilmington, Nick focuses his practice exclusively on personal injury cases, including auto accidents, premises liability, vacation rental injuries, and other complex negligence claims.
As Managing Partner, Nick oversees firm operations, attorney development, and case strategy, ensuring every client receives the highest level of advocacy and service. His leadership is grounded in experience — before founding the firm, he represented national and regional insurance companies, Fortune 500 corporations, municipalities, and public utilities. That insider knowledge now gives him a strategic advantage when negotiating with insurers and litigating high-stakes claims.
Devlin Horton is a leading personal injury attorney and founding partner at Horton & Mendez Injury Lawyers, based in Wilmington, North Carolina. As the firm’s lead trial lawyer, Devlin represents individuals and families affected by catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, and other serious personal injury claims across the state. His dedication to aggressive litigation and strategic advocacy has earned him national recognition and landmark verdicts in personal injury law.
Devlin’s background includes years defending Fortune 500 companies and national insurance carriers, giving him a unique advantage in anticipating defense strategies and negotiating from a position of strength. Today, he’s recognized as one of North Carolina’s top personal injury lawyers by National Trial Lawyers, frequently invited to speak and instruct on trial tactics through professional legal organizations.
Alan Castro is a dedicated personal injury attorney and workers’ compensation lawyer serving clients throughout North Carolina. Based in Wilmington, Alan leverages his unique background as a former workers’ compensation defense attorney to pursue full and fair compensation for individuals injured due to negligence, workplace accidents, or insurance disputes. His deep understanding of insurance company strategies, combined with a disciplined and strategic approach, gives his clients a distinct advantage in complex injury cases.
Before focusing exclusively on representing injured individuals, Alan defended workers’ compensation claims on behalf of insurance carriers and employers. This experience provided him with firsthand insight into how insurance companies evaluate, negotiate, and litigate claims. Today, he uses that knowledge to anticipate defense tactics and strengthen his clients’ positions at every stage of the legal process.
Telana Poe is a dedicated personal injury litigation attorney at Horton & Mendez, representing clients throughout North Carolina. Based in Wilmington, she brings a deep passion for advocacy and a strong commitment to helping injured individuals navigate the legal process with confidence and clarity. Telana draws on her education and unique background to deliver informed, compassionate legal representation in complex personal injury matters.
Clients appreciate Telana’s thoughtful communication style and relentless advocacy on their behalf. Whether handling complex injury claims or guiding families through difficult legal decisions, she emphasizes clarity, responsiveness, and strategic planning to pursue the best possible outcome.
Jessica Cornette Faulk is a seasoned personal injury attorney in Wilmington, North Carolina, with extensive experience in both criminal prosecution and civil litigation. Known for her dedication to client advocacy, Jessica represents individuals injured in serious accidents, guiding them through every step of the legal process with compassion and precision.
Before joining Horton & Mendez, Jessica tried hundreds of cases as an Assistant District Attorney, including serious traffic offenses and homicide cases. She later transitioned to civil litigation, advocating for injured individuals and workers in a wide range of injury and compensation matters
Rebecca Linder is a personal injury attorney at Horton & Mendez, representing clients throughout North Carolina in serious injury and accident cases. With a background in social work and prior legal experience in family, juvenile, and guardianship law, Rebecca combines compassion, strategic advocacy, and a client-centered approach to help individuals and families navigate complex legal matters after life-changing injuries.
Rebecca’s prior experience in sensitive areas of law, including family and juvenile matters, gives her unique insight into supporting clients through difficult circumstances. She brings meticulous preparation, thoughtful communication, and a strong dedication to achieving maximum compensation for injury clients across North Carolina.
Ryan McCollum is a dedicated litigation attorney at Horton & Mendez, where he focuses on high-stakes personal injury litigation and complex accident cases throughout North Carolina. With a disciplined background rooted in military service and academic excellence, Ryan approaches every case with integrity, strategic insight, and a commitment to securing meaningful results for injured individuals and families.
Before entering law, Ryan served as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, where he learned leadership, discipline, and accountability, qualities he brings to his legal practice. After his military service, he pursued law at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Campbell Law Review. His academic achievements and commitment to excellence support his meticulous approach to legal strategy and advocacy.
Beyond The Courtroom
Giving back isn’t just something we do, it’s who we are. Through Horton & Mendez Cares, our team is deeply invested in the communities we serve across North Carolina.
In 2025, we gave back over $75,000, supporting impactful organizations like Paws4People, NourishNC, and local children’s museums. You’ll also find our team out in the community year-round, cheering in the Veterans Day Parade, supporting K9s for service, and showing up at local events that bring people together. Through partnerships with i9 Sports, UNCW Athletics, and Charlotte FC, we proudly support youth and professional sports that build stronger, healthier communities.
Because when our communities win, everyone wins.
We’re proud to stand alongside Charlotte FC as an Associate Partner. Soccer has a special way of bringing people together, and this partnership lets us celebrate the teamwork, determination, …
Learn More
In 2025, Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys launched the Best of NC Heroes giveaway to honor North Carolina’s first responders, including firefighters, police officers, nurses, EMS personnel, …
Learn More
2025 marked the first year of our Best of NC Teachers giveaway, where Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys awarded $2,000 cash prizes to outstanding NC educators, nominated and voted on by …
Learn More
Paws4People® trains and places Assistance Dogs, empowering users to transform their lives for a better tomorrow. We believe every person is deserving of priceless and well-deserved independence.
Learn More
Headaches after a bone-rattling car crash. Visible scars from a dog attack. Lingering neck pain from a slip-and-fall accident. The loss of your joy for bike-riding after a motorist ran you off the road. The grief of losing a loved one because of someone’s negligent actions. These are all reasons to hire a Cornelius personal injury lawyer, and they are just some of the many circumstances that lead clients to ask us for help.
We aren’t your run-of-the-mill law firm. Our attorneys and support staff consider this job a calling, and it shows in our remarkable work ethic and the life-changing results we have delivered to countless clients. Call Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys today at (980) 414-5755 for your free consultation.
Personal Injury Lawyers with a Unique Insurance Background
Insurance companies are at the center of most personal injury cases. In fact, insurers are the parties from whom we most often seek compensation. It’s notable, then, that three of our firm’s attorneys used to defend insurers during the claims process.
We have seen firsthand how insurance companies think about, fight, and ultimately settle claims.
Attorneys Nick Mendez, Devlin Horton, and the rest of our team are calculated in our strategies because we understand what methods work with insurers and which don’t. There is no wasted motion in the personal injury claims we lead, and insurers show us respect because they know we have their playbook.
You might also choose your Cornelius personal injury lawyer from Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys because:
- We achieved the top jury verdict in North Carolina in 2024: Our team earned a verdict of more than $38 million in a catastrophic injury case against the North Carolina Department of Transportation. No defendant is too big for us to hold accountable.
- Our former clients are our most passionate supporters: You can tell plenty about a law firm based on how former clients speak of it. Our former clients are responsible for our five-star Google rating, and their stories describe a law firm that is not satisfied unless our clients are.
- We blend big-firm experience with small-firm service: With multiple locations throughout North Carolina, a substantial budget to invest in our cases, and several highly qualified attorneys with a roster of support staff assisting them, you might think of us as a “big firm.” And yet, the authentic, attentive service you receive from your attorney and our team will make you feel like our only client.
- We call Cornelius home, and many of our clients are neighbors: Our office in Cornelius will afford you convenient, in-person representation. Just as importantly, when an attorney lives or works in the same community they serve, they are even more committed to their clients’ success.
Our attorneys believe that securing fair settlements and verdicts for clients furthers our mission to improve and protect the communities we serve. Call us today to discuss your case. The consultation is free, and you have no obligation to hire us after the call is complete.
Personal Injury Case Types We Handle In Cornelius, NC
Our personal injury attorneys strive to help anyone injured or made sick due to others’ negligence.
Some of our most common cases involve:
- Car accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Accidents caused by uninsured motorists
- Truck accidents (including delivery truck collisions)
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Golf cart accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Uneven floor accidents
- Deck collapses
- Dog bites
- Birth injuries
- Aviation accidents
- Boating accidents
- Commercial fishing accidents
- Accidents at rental properties (including vacation rentals)
We also handle workers’ compensation claims, wrongful death cases, and many other types of cases. Speak with our team to learn how we can help you.
What Our Service Looks Like in Personal Injury Cases
Service is central to everything we do. We donate our time and money to foundations like Paws4People and Hope for the Warriors and genuinely desire to see the town safer for residents and visitors alike. Our ultimate form of service comes in the form of settlements and verdicts for the injured, sick, and grieving.
We deliver those settlements and verdicts by:
- Protecting the client first and foremost, including from insurance companies known for using bad-faith tactics to avoid financial responsibility
- Creating tailor-made strategies that reflect each client’s unique circumstances, damages, and goals for their case
- Proving fault for the client’s damages, quickly securing evidence that can include witness statements, expert testimony, accident reconstructions, video footage, and photographs of accident scenes
- Detailing the client’s recoverable damages with medical records, bills showing the exact cost of medical care, testimony from doctors and mental health professionals, income statements showing lost wages, and the client’s own account of pain, anguish, and trauma
- Making fair, firm settlement demands and being prepared for the resistance that liable parties typically present
Preparation is the key ingredient at Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, and we approach each case as if a trial is a realistic possibility. We will be ready for court if negotiations hit a dead end and mediation fails.
Our Financial Recoveries Position Clients Up for Long-Term Stability, Every Damage Will Be Accounted For
Each of our clients has a story to tell, and each is unique. While we cannot pinpoint your specific damages until we have spoken with you, some damages common to personal injury cases are:
- Healthcare costs
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Property costs (such as car repairs)
- Temporary transportation costs
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Medication costs
- Medical equipment costs
Wrongful deaths introduce even more damages, which can include funeral costs, grief (in addition to other types of pain and suffering), loss of consortium, and lost financial support.
Rest assured that your Cornelius personal injury attorney will account for current, future, economic, and non-economic damages when composing their settlement demands.
Our Service Comes at No Out-of-Pocket Cost to You
One more thing: We will fight for the compensation you deserve without receiving a dime directly from you. Our contingency fee agreements mean we only get a fee if we secure a settlement or verdict for you. This fee structure is consistent with our mission of easing clients’ minds and alleviating their financial stress.
Don’t Wait, Call Now For Your Free Consultation to Connect with a Cornelius Personal Injury Attorney
Our lawyer has been in the other side’s locker room, as we used to represent the insurers. We will never forget the playbook they had us run so many times, and we now use that playbook to benefit the clients we serve. This alone is ample reason to choose your Cornelius personal injury lawyer from our team—and yet, it’s far from the only reason to trust us with your case.
Call Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys today at (980) 414-5755 for your free consultation, or contact us online.
Let us show you what high-quality representation looks like.
Free Case Evaluation
"*" indicates required fields
