About Shawn Howard

Shawn Howard is an attorney and partner at Maginnis Howard, where he leads the firm's personal injury division. His practice covers motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, workplace injuries, drunk driving collisions, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, dog bites, tractor-trailer wrecks, and insurance coverage disputes.

Howard earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2010.

He is admitted to the North Carolina State Bar and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina.

He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (Legal Affairs Committee, Auto Torts Section, Order of Service), and the North Carolina Bar Association.

Howard has been named a Super Lawyer (2021-2026) and a Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016-2020), recognized in Best Lawyers Ones to Watch (2024-2025) and Best Lawyers (2026), and holds a 10.0 Avvo rating.

Notable case results include a $5.5 million wrongful death recovery, a $2.93 million settlement, a $2 million jury verdict, and numerous additional seven-figure settlements in motor vehicle and personal injury matters.

Proven verdicts and settlements

$8.62 millionSettlement

Three people died and a child was seriously injured when a 20-year-old drove the wrong way on Interstate 85 after a night of underage drinking supplied by bars and a fraternity; Maginnis Howard's Shawn Howard helped secure an $8.62 million settlement against 18 of the 19 defendants one month before trial.

North Carolina (venue withheld) · 2018Wrongful DeathRead the full story →
$1.25 millionSettlement

A $1.25 million settlement resolved a wrongful-death claim against the City of Winston-Salem after a probationary city landfill operator, distracted by personal phone calls, backed a bulldozer into Waste Management driver Thomas Thompson and killed him.

Forsyth County Superior Court, NC (Case No. 23 CVS 2810) · 2025Wrongful DeathRead the full story →
$975,000Settlement

A woman asleep in her bed died when an intoxicated driver crashed through her home wall; Maginnis Howard secured a $975,000 settlement through dram shop claims against two bars that served the driver while he was visibly impaired.

Mediation (NC) · 2024Wrongful DeathRead the full story →
View all 6 proven verdicts →

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.

Practice areas

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Undergraduate

Bar admissions & credentials

State Bar of North Carolina, admitted 2010
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
North Carolina State Bar
North Carolina Advocates for Justice (Legal Affairs Committee, Auto Torts Section)
North Carolina Bar Association

Awards & recognition

Super Lawyers (2021-2026)
Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016-2020)
Best Lawyers Ones to Watch (2024-2025)
Best Lawyers (2026)
Avvo 10.0 rating
J.D. with honors, UNC School of Law (2010)

Other attorneys at Maginnis Howard Personal Injury Lawyer

View firm →

Proven verdicts and settlements from other Raleigh firms

Whitley Law Firm Injury Lawyers
Whitley Law Firm Injury Lawyers
$42.44 million · Fire Case Brings a $42.44 Million Settlement in North Carolina
Henson Fuerst, Attorneys at Law
Henson Fuerst, Attorneys at Law
$40 million · Henson Fuerst Wins Record $40 Million Drunk Driving Verdict, Affirmed as Largest in North Carolina History
Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
$1.25 billion · Black Farmers Secure $1.25 Billion From USDA in Pigford II Settlement
Ricci Law Firm Injury Lawyers
Ricci Law Firm Injury Lawyers
$101 million (settled confidentially before punitives) · Valdez v. Hajoca: A Record $101 Million Verdict for a Hendersonville Wall Collapse
Martin & Jones
Martin & Jones
$31 million · $31 Million Settlement After Two-Point Lap Belt Paralyzed an 11-Year-Old in a Ford Escort