What Does It Take to Become Board Certified?

Board Certification is not simply a title a lawyer can choose to use. An attorney must meet the requirements established by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

For Personal Injury Trial Law, those requirements include substantial involvement in personal injury trial practice, continuing legal education, professional references, and a rigorous examination.

How Many Trials Are Required?

Under the current TBLS Personal Injury Trial Law standards, an attorney seeking certification must have tried at least 10 contested civil cases as lead counsel that were submitted to the trier of fact in a Texas court of record.

Of those 10 cases:

• At least 5 must be personal injury jury trials.
• The attorney must have served as lead counsel.
• The cases must have been submitted to the judge or jury for a decision.
• The cases must represent at least 20 separate days in trial, including at least 10 days devoted to personal injury jury trials.

An attorney must also devote at least 25% of their practice to personal injury trial law in Texas during each of the three years immediately before applying for certification.

And the requirements do not stop with trial experience. Applicants must complete 60 hours of approved continuing legal education in the specialty during the three years before applying and pass the TBLS specialty examination.

In simple terms, Board Certification requires real trial experience, specialized knowledge, continuing education, and passing a rigorous examination.

Rob Ammons is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law

Rob Ammons is the founder and managing partner of The Ammons Law Firm. Rob has represented consumers in product liability litigation since 1991 and has been Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993.

Rob has built his career representing people and families in some of the most serious personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases.

Rob has served as lead counsel in more than 500 cases that resulted in verdicts or settlements of $1 million or more, including dozens of cases resulting in verdicts or settlements of $10 million or more.

His results include some of the largest personal injury verdicts and settlements in Texas, including:

• $1.6 billion – Plant Explosion & Wrongful Death Verdict
• $82.5 million — Plant Explosion & Wrongful Death Verdict
• $50.65 million — Mass Shooting & Wrongful Death Verdict
• $49 million – 18-wheeler crash & Wrongful Death Verdict
• $48.2 million — Explosion & Wrongful Death
• $37.5 million — Product Defect
• $33 million — Tire Defect & Wrongful Death
• $27.5 million — Traumatic Brain Injury

You can see Rob’s complete attorney profile and review our case results to learn more about these cases and others.

Rob’s record-setting $82.5 million verdict in Petrie v. Hanover is included in the Texas Verdict Hall of Fame.

Rob is also Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

John Gsanger is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Appeals

John Gsanger brings extensive trial and appellate experience to The Ammons Law Firm.

John has a rare double Board Certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization—Personal Injury Trial Law and Appeals.

John has built a nationwide practice focused on product safety, defective tires, automobile defects, and serious personal injury litigation. His work has resulted in multimillion-dollar recoveries and has helped bring dangerous products and safety issues to the attention of manufacturers and the public.

One of John’s notable cases resulted in a $33 million verdict in a tire-defect case involving the death of a beloved community leader. A defective tire caused a head-on collision, and the jury held the tire manufacturer responsible.

John has also helped obtain results that contributed to recalls of defective tires and dangerous sport utility vehicles and caused manufacturers to issue important safety warnings to consumers.

John’s experience extends beyond the courtroom. He serves as a contributing author for the Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee and has been invited to teach at more than 100 continuing legal education seminars around the country on trial-law issues.

You can read John’s complete attorney profile to learn more about his experience, education, publications, and professional accomplishments.

Contact The Ammons Law Firm Today

At The Ammons Law Firm, Rob Ammons and John Gsanger have both earned Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

We have spent decades representing people and families facing catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, defective products, dangerous vehicles, and powerful corporate defendants. When the stakes are high, experience matters. Board Certification demonstrates knowledge and trial experience. We put that experience to work for our clients.

Injured in an accident? Contact a personal injury lawyer at The Ammons Law Firm online or call us at (281) 801-5617 to discuss your legal options.