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Attorney Advertising. The information on this profile does not constitute legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. Past results described do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Before founding his own firm, Ryan Zehl clerked for Justice Scott Brister at the Texas Supreme Court — the kind of credential that usually leads to appellate defense work at a large firm. Instead, after a stint in Gardere’s litigation group, he built a Houston plaintiffs’ practice that Law.com and The National Law Journal have named a finalist for national “Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year” in five separate years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
At a Glance
| Firm | Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers |
| Founder | Ryan Zehl |
| Houston Office | 2700 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77056 (Galleria) — headquarters; additional office in Midland |
| Focus | Catastrophic injury: 18-wheeler/truck accidents, oilfield and plant explosions, offshore/maritime injury, workplace disasters |
| Board Certification | None claimed or verified for the firm’s named attorneys — see Recognition below |
| Fee Structure | Contingency; free consultation stated |
Career History
Ryan Zehl graduated in the top 5 percent of his law school class, served as a briefing attorney for Justice Scott Brister of the Texas Supreme Court, then joined Gardere’s litigation and appellate group before founding Zehl & Associates. He is admitted in Texas, Pennsylvania, multiple U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, has served on the Houston Trial Lawyers Association board, and holds lifetime membership in the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums.
Practice Concentration
The firm concentrates on catastrophic injury litigation: 18-wheeler and commercial truck accidents, oilfield blowouts and burns, plant and refinery explosions, offshore and maritime injuries, and major workplace disasters. More than 5,000 clients across the United States have retained the firm, per its own count, with cases concentrated in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
Track Record
| Result | Case Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $100 million | Settlement, oilfield burn injury — firm states this is the largest oilfield settlement for an individual plaintiff in U.S. history | Firm-published |
| $35 million | Jury verdict, family of truck driver struck by an Oncor Electric truck (Dallas) | Firm-published, attorneys individually named |
| $6 million | Bus crash settlement — firm successfully petitioned the court to require the bus driver to undergo a sleep study, which revealed a disqualifying medical condition | Firm-published |
| $4.2 million | Verdict against R&L Carriers after a 5-week Dallas trial — per the firm, the largest verdict in that company’s corporate history | Firm-published |
| $3.2 million | Verdict, Eastern District of Louisiana, offshore personnel-transfer injury | Firm-published |
These figures are drawn from the firm’s own published case history; superlative claims (“largest in history”) are attributed to the firm rather than independently ranked by this research. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.
Client Voice
Attributed reviews describe successful outcomes in drunk-driving collision and defective-product cases, with one reviewer crediting the firm for getting a dangerous product off the market. The firm holds Better Business Bureau accreditation dating to 2012. This research did not surface a pattern of negative reviews or disciplinary findings against Zehl.
Beyond the Courtroom
Zehl has been interviewed on CNN, Fox & Friends, and Good Morning America regarding major injury cases, and was featured on the cover of Texas Super Lawyers magazine.
Recognition
This profile deliberately does not use the word “specialist” for any attorney at this firm: this research did not locate a Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification for Ryan Zehl or the firm’s other named attorneys, and under our editorial standard that credential is only attributed when independently confirmed. What the firm demonstrably holds instead: consecutive finalist selections for Law.com/National Law Journal’s “Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year” (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025), Zehl’s selection as a Texas Super Lawyer or Rising Star every year since 2009, and his National Trial Lawyers Top 100 membership — peer-review and industry recognitions that are meaningful but categorically different from state board certification.
Texas Legal Backdrop
Texas personal injury claims generally carry a two-year statute of limitations under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. Offshore and maritime claims, a core part of this firm’s docket, instead proceed under federal maritime law including the Jones Act, with different deadlines and remedies than Texas negligence claims. Texas follows a modified comparative-fault rule under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33: a claimant found more than 50% responsible for their own injury recovers nothing, and a claimant at 50% or below has recovery reduced by their own percentage of fault. None of this is legal advice and does not account for the specific facts of any individual case; consult a licensed Texas attorney about your situation.
Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Five separate finalist years for a national firm-of-the-year award from a legal-industry publisher, a Texas Supreme Court clerkship in the founder’s background, and creative litigation tactics with verifiable outcomes (the court-ordered sleep study that reshaped a bus-crash case) all reflect genuine, distinctive capability.
The honest limitation, stated plainly: unlike several peer firms in this directory’s Houston coverage, no attorney at this firm could be confirmed as holding TBLS board certification in Personal Injury Trial Law. That absence doesn’t diminish the firm’s documented results, but a prospective client comparing firms on that specific credential should know the difference — and the firm’s ubiquitous “Undefeated” branding is a marketing claim this research did not attempt to independently audit against every case the firm has ever handled.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys in August 2026 without the participation, sponsorship, or payment of Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers. Primary sources: the firm’s own website (zehllaw.com), including its attorney biography and results pages. Independent verification: The National Trial Lawyers member profile; Better Business Bureau business profile (accreditation since 2012); Super Lawyers firm profile; Yelp firm listing. Statutes cited in the Texas Legal Backdrop section were verified against the Texas Constitution and Statutes database (statutes.capitol.texas.gov).
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal-directory publisher. This profile was not paid for by Zehl & Associates, and inclusion in our editorial coverage cannot be purchased. Our methodology and editorial standards are applied consistently across all firms we cover.