Robert and Debbie Poe owned an EMS company that served rural Ashe County, North Carolina, at the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Robert was also a longtime commander of the North Carolina Association of Rescue & EMS. He would sometimes take his daughters, Telana and Jessica, back to traffic crash sites after the patient was cleared. “He was teaching us how to drive on the curvy mountain roads where we lived. He would explain what happened, what the driver had done wrong, and how this car ended up on its roof,” said Telana Poe, an attorney with the Whitley Law Firm.
That education is serving Poe well as a pre-litigation attorney when handling traffic accident cases. “I’m typically the first attorney to look at the accident report. I think that experience and knowledge from my childhood helps me understand and visualize what happened.”
Her parents’ career also inspired Poe’s path to the law. “Their entire careers have been dedicated to helping people who can’t help themselves. It isn’t about getting rich; it’s about helping others.”
A Strong Advocate
After Poe earned her Juris Doctor from Campbell Law School, she wanted a practice that would fast-track her to the bench.
“When I worked with judges, I found it fascinating how they could go from a hearing over a contract to presiding over a murder trial. They were also in positions where they could create a positive impact on the people around them,” said Poe.
However, after talking with several of the judges mentoring her, she decided that the best use of her law degree was as a personal injury attorney.
“I felt that my background, experiences, and resources would make me a strong advocate for my clients. Life isn’t about you, the business that you ran, or the money you made; it’s about what you did for others.”
Happy Clients
Poe is often the first contact a client has with an attorney at Whitley.
“I encourage them to vent. I encourage them to tell me how traumatizing their wreck was, how scared they were in the ER, how they struggled to get ready in the morning and can’t work anymore,” explained Poe. “Allowing clients to get their thoughts and feelings out can be therapeutic and helps me build a relationship with them.
“At the end of the case, it is all about how the clients react,” Poe added. “If the client is thankful and they’re happy with the work I’ve done, even if it isn’t a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar settlement, it can make a huge impact on their lives. That’s what makes me feel good about the work I do – knowing I’ve done right by someone and knowing I was successful in securing a reasonable settlement for them.”
Camp Lejeune
Whitley Law Firm has a sizable practice handling claims from members of the military, their families who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, and civilians who worked there from 1953 through 1987 who may have been exposed to contaminated water that led to various cancers, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and other illnesses.
“They’re so frustrated with this whole process and how long it’s taking,” said Poe. “They will call in, ranting and raving and I don’t blame them one bit. They have every right in the world to be livid. These veterans and their families trusted the government and the government completely turned their backs on them when they needed help.
“The DOJ is fighting tooth and nail to try to get out of settling these cases in a timely manner and to try to get out of paying these people when there are mountains of evidence that the government knew, and they didn’t do anything,” she added. “It breaks my heart for these guys.”
Self-Awareness
Poe is one of the 11 members of the NCAJ NEXT Leadership Program class of 2024. The program identifies the state’s emerging trial lawyer leaders.
“[In the classes], we talk a lot about being self-aware and realizing what your strengths and weaknesses are. It’s helped me realize that my leadership style is not the stern, slamming my fists down saying, ‘I’m the lawyer.’” said Poe. “My leadership style comes within my connections, my relationships, and the way that I talk to people and the way that I treat people with respect.”
