Derek Merman, the food poisoning lawyer, focuses on cases that involve important social issues, serious injuries and negligent corporations. Food poisoning, because of its pervasive nature, is one of the social issues The Merman Law Firm has chosen to champion. The Merman Law Firm recognizes that the best way to effect social change (ie. make food manufacturers and distributors accountable for their negligence) is by actively and aggressively pursuing litigation on behalf of innocent consumers victimized by food borne illnesses. Legislation only gets us so far and products that have been recalled have already been caught by the only governmental agency charged with ensuring food safety, the FDA. The offending companies have already broken the law, but the penalties are not strong enough to deter others from cutting corners handling our food. Through litigation we bring the issue to the doorstep of those that have the power to correct the problem – the food manufacturers. That is why Derek wants to be your food poisoning lawyer!
Since losing his father in a plane accident caused by a negligent plane manufacturer, Mr. Merman has personal knowledge of how important it is to have a skilled and caring personal injury attorney. By keeping a small docket, he is able to treat his clients like family and takes great pride in providing his clients with the attention, care and compassion they deserve.
Derek Merman graduated from Baylor University in 1998 with a B.S. in Biology. Mr. Merman focused his study on the effects of viruses, bacteria, and heavy metals on plants and the environment. Baylor University consistently ranks in the top 100 univeristies in the world for scientific study. Mr. Merman excelled in his undergraduate studies and was offered a full scholarship for a master’s degree in biological sciences at Colorado State University. Mr. Merman chose to focus his talents and attention on the law as the best way to affect positive social and environmental change. Mr. Merman is intimately familiar with the proper process for raising and packaging food for sale and distribution.
He attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center where he graduated cum laude in 2004. As a practicing lawyer, Mr. Merman has been lead attorney on more than a dozen trials and has won two verdicts in excess of $10,000,000. He was named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Texas for six straight years (2007-present) and was recently named one of the top 40 trial lawyers under 40 years old.
Mr. Merman has helped his clients recover millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements during his career. Damages depend on the facts of the case, but in every circumstance, Derek endeavors to achieve high settlements and verdicts for each and every client.
Derek is licensed to practice law before every state court in Texas and the Eastern, Northern and Southern Federal District Courts of Texas. He is also licensed to to practice before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and has a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
District Court in Beaumont, Texas in 2011. The verdict was more than four-times the verdict rendered in the Rodney King assault and is the largest reported civil-rights verdict in Texas to date.
