Collin D. Shellenberger, Business Attorney in Beaumont, Texas

Collin D. Shellenberger was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He has spent his entire legal career with Germer, PLLC in its Beaumont office defending businesses and individuals in civil litigation matters.

Practice Areas and Experience:

•Collin has successfully tried cases involving serious injuries and death to verdict as lead counsel throughout the state and federal courts of Southeast Texas and East Texas. He has consistently maintained a dynamic docket of high exposure litigation matters-often involving catastrophic injuries and death, commercial trucking and transportation litigation cases, first-party and third-party insurance defense cases,school bus accidents, ATV and boating accidents, and premises liability cases. He is also a proud member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
•A significant portion of Collin’s practice is also devoted to advising insurance companies regarding the best strategies for addressing complex insurance issues, such as bad faith allegations, Stower’s allegations, and extra-contractual claims. Collin also defends insurance companies when these claims are asserted in a lawsuit. Additionally, Collin provides coverage opinions to insurance companies and prosecutes declaratory judgment actions on coverage matters when necessary.

Experience with Unique Issues and Claims:

•Collin’s experience handling insurance defense work over the years has provided him with the knowledge and skill to assist with certain matters that can often be difficult to resolve, such as complicated minor settlements, settlements of death claims with limited liability limits and numerous claimants, and disputes over liens/subrogation interests.
•Collin has experience representing local businesses and individuals in unique matters; he has successfully defended funeral homes in lawsuits alleging improper burial claims, nail salons in lawsuits alleging personal injuries following manicures and pedicures, fraternity members and officers in lawsuits relating to fraternity operations/injuries, pharmacies and pharmacists sued for negligence in medication distribution, homeowners sued for sexual misconduct, homeowners sued by contractors who claim to have been injured on their premises, restaurants for injuries allegedly caused by staff or property conditions, and plumbing companies facing mold claims by customers. He has also successfully defended claims involving dog bites, placement of bollards outside businesses, and slip and falls.

Post-Accident Investigations:

•Collin is frequently retained by companies and insurance carriers immediately after an accident to ensure that evidence is properly preserved, to conduct pre-litigation investigations (often with expert assistance), and to begin to build an aggressive defense early on.

Local Counsel:

•Collin’s strong ties to the community and experience with the local courts make him effective when serving as local counsel in the courts of Southeast Texas and East Texas.
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Professional Experience

•Collin joined Germer, PLLC’s Beaumont office in 2005 after completion of the Texas Bar Exam.
•Collin has been a Principal in Germer, PLLC since 2012, and he currently serves as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Recognitions and Honors

•Texas Super Lawyer, a Thompson Reuters publication (2023-2025)
•Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent
•Designated a Texas Rising Star several years in a row by Texas Monthly
•Sustaining Life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation (only 1/3 of 1% of Texas lawyers each year are invited to become Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation)
•Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

Recent Trial Victories

•136th District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Plaintiff asserted an underinsured motorist claim against his insurance company after the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier settled with him for the full amount of the driver’s liability insurance policy. Plaintiff claimed the accident caused the need for neck surgery and for him to be permanently disabled. The parties had competing experts on whether the accident caused a need for the neck surgery. Plaintiff claimed over $100,000 in past medical, and he requested $460,370 in damages. State Farm argued that the accident caused a soft tissue neck injury (at most) and asked that the award be limited to no more than $21,500. The verdict was 1/3 of the amount of total UIM credits/offsets, and therefore the Court entered a Final Take Nothing Judgment against Plaintiff.
•60th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County.
•Successfully defended underlying case against insured where Plaintiff asserted that the insured’s negligence caused him to be paralyzed and that the insurance carrier violated Stower’s by not responding to a pre-suit, policy limits demand of $30,000. Plaintiff presented a damage model - and expert testimony - asserting that Plaintiff’s damages exceed 10 million dollars. After a three week trial, the jury returned a verdict well below the amount sought by Plaintiff and well below the result expected by defense counsel and the insurance carrier.
•District Court of Jasper County, Texas.
•Automobile/Pedestrian accident with contested liability. Plaintiff claimed that right leg injuries caused by the accident resolved within one month, but that a left knee injury needed surgical repair. Her treating orthopedic surgeon recommended that she undergo surgery on the left knee, and he testified at trial that the accident caused the need for the left knee surgery. Plaintiff had just over $16,000 in past recoverable medical. At trial, Plaintiff asked the jury to award her $95,000 in damages. Defense verdict. The jury found Plaintiff 49% responsible for the accident and awarded her $10,750 in damages (and no damages for the alleged left knee injury). Her recovery was reduced to $5,482.00 due to the comparative negligence finding. Prior to trial, Defendant’s insurance carrier offered $18,500 to settle the case; however, Plaintiff would not negotiate below $49,500.
•County Court at Law Number 1 of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Plaintiff claimed neck, back, and shoulder injuries resulting from a rear-end accident in Beaumont. Defense verdict - the jury awarded less than the offer made many months before trial.
•United States District Court Eastern District, Lufkin Division.
•Chapter 95 - Premises Liability/Personal Injury case. Past recoverable medical of $111,000 for a cervical fusion. Plaintiff alleged that he struck his head on scaffolding on Defendants’ property causing injuries. Defendants denied that the incident occurred. Defendants also argued that even if the incident had occurred, they would not be responsible for the incident and that the need for a cervical fusion could not stem from the type of injury alleged. Plaintiff asked the jury to award $446,000. The jury returned a defense verdict on liability.
•136th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case. Past recoverable medical of $120,000 for a two-level lumbar fusion with no pre-accident history of lumbar problems Plaintiff’s treating doctor testified that since she continued to have pain years after the surgery and that she needed an intra-thecal narcotic pump that would cost $1,300,000 over her lifetime. Plaintiff asked the jury to award $3.2 million (Plaintiff claimed that carrier was “Stowerized”). Defense verdict.
•60th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case. Defendant stipulated to liability. Defense verdict.
•County Court at Law No. 1 of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case; liability dispute (swearing match on which vehicle had the red light). One of the minor Plaintiffs sustained a fracture of the spine. Plaintiffs asked for several hundred thousand dollars combined. Defense verdict on liability.
•172nd Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case. Clear liability rear-end collision. Defense verdict; the jury verdict was less than half of the pre-trial offer.
•136th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Co-lead counsel. Automobile/Wrongful death case. Defense verdict. Plaintiff asked for $1.9 million at trial. Jury verdict of $57,500.00.
•60th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case; clear liability rear-end collision. Defense verdict. Plaintiff asked for $50,000.00 at trial. Jury verdict of $3,450.00.
•172nd Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury case; clear liability rear-end collision. Defense verdict. Plaintiff asked for $75,000.00 at trial. Jury verdict of $4,548.00.
•136th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas.
•Automobile/personal injury and property damage case. Defense verdict on liability.

Interests

•Spending time with his wife, daughter, and two sons
•World and US History
•US Government
•Exercise/Running
•Coaching his children’s sports teams