John David O'Neill

John David O’Neill focuses his litigation efforts on catastrophic injury, product liability, automotive defect, and wrongful death cases. With a background in engineering, John brings a technical approach to case review and analysis.

In particular, John is heavily involved in vehicle defect cases alleging injuries caused by defective Takata airbags.

John has consulted as an engineer on projects involving manufacturing, transportation, institutional, municipal and residential construction. Prior to attending law school, he was a lead manufacturing engineer with an international aerospace corporation where he was responsible for planning repairs for damaged parts and other components that did not meet specifications.

John was also a member of the engineering team that performed quality inspections of structural installations on behalf of the S.C. DOT on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston, S.C., one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in North America. John was formerly a South Carolina property attorney, having worked on construction defect claims, negotiated commercial property deals in Charleston, and provided representation in Circuit Court and Municipal Court on criminal and civil matters.

Awards, Accolades & Recognitions

Best Lawyers

Charleston, SC
2021-2026 Ones to Watch list: Product liability litigation-plaintiffs

Blog Posts

July 6, 2023

Social media’s grip on teen mental health

by: Laura K. Stemkowski

January 8, 2021

Clicking with caution: Cybersecurity data breach risks are higher than ever Causes, Not Just Cases

by: Jodi Westbrook Flowers

August 12, 2020

Denied business interruption insurance payouts due to COVID-19 losses, some business owners may find justice in civil courts Causes, Not Just Cases

by: John A. Baden IV

News

April 27, 2026

How Civil Litigation Helped Build Safer Workplaces-and Why It Still Matters

by:
Jacob R. Stout

February 4, 2026

Can You Sue a Car Company for Airbags Not Deploying?

by:
John David O'Neill
Kevin R. Dean