About John Dodds
John is a trial lawyer who was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The son of a local attorney, John knew from an early age that he wanted to advocate on behalf of those in need of guidance and representation throughout the legal process. John received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University, where he was a member of the varsity football team. After college, John attended the Charleston School of Law, where he graduated summa cum laude, was an active member of the Charleston Law Review and Trial Advocacy Board, and served as a Teaching Fellow in the Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing Department. Following law school, John clerked for the Honorable Edgar W. Dickson of the First Judicial Circuit.
John thereafter joined a well-respected defense litigation firm in Charleston and litigated a wide array of cases, including wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, products liability, construction defect, and insurance bad faith. While practicing as a defense attorney, John handled all facets of complex litigation and tried numerous cases to verdict in both state and federal court. Since joining Yarborough Applegate in November 2021, John has helped his clients recover millions of dollars to compensate them for their injuries and damages, from cases involving workplace accidents, dram shop/victims of drunk driving, tractor-trailer collisions, negligent security, and premises liability. John has been recognized and selected by his peers in South Carolina as a "Rising Star" in the Super Lawyers publication for Plaintiff's civil litigation, and co-authored Dealing with Objections to Written Discovery: The Modern Approach to Discovery Objections in South Carolina State and Federal Courts.
Proven verdicts and settlements at Yarborough Applegate Law Firm
These results are credited to Yarborough Applegate Law Firm. A result appears under an attorney's own name only when a published source names them as counsel on the case.
Shannon Shaw was riding his motorcycle in St. George, South Carolina, in September 2021 when an Amazon delivery van turned left across his path. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries that led to a cervical fusion. In December 2023 a Dorchester County jury found Amazon vicariously liable and grossly negligent and returned $44.63 million, including $30 million in punitive damages against Amazon.
Thomas was riding as a passenger on Highway 9 outside Cheraw, South Carolina, when a Prime, Inc. tractor-trailer, driven by a trainee with about 90 days of experience while his trainer slept in the sleeper berth, turned left in front of their car and caused catastrophic injuries. A Chesterfield County jury awarded him $30 million.
A Montgomery County, Maryland jury in October 2014 returned a verdict against Pepco for a construction worker who was shocked by a transformer he had been told was de-energized and left paralyzed from the neck down. The jury awarded about $35.94 million, and Maryland's cap on noneconomic damages cut the $15 million noneconomic portion to $770,000, leaving about $21.71 million.
Lennox Hinckson, a 65-year-old elevator mechanic, was crushed and fell roughly 60 feet at Holcim's cement plant in Holly Hill, South Carolina, after a Holcim employee called the elevator he was working on from a floor below. His estate settled wrongful death and negligence claims against Holcim for $20 million.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
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