News Briefs
The Best Lawyers in America 2026 Includes 140 Wilson Elser Attorneys
August 21, 2025
John Bridger handles a wide variety of civil and maritime litigation, including tort and commercial disputes, and has tried more than 70 cases to verdict. John frequently defends personal injury, transportation and property damage claims typically occurring on or at chemical plants, refineries, fabrication shops, docks, marine terminals, vessels, offshore oil rigs and platforms, and construction sites. These cases usually involve claims of negligence, gross negligence, personal injury, premises liability, products liability, maritime law, toxic tort, appellate law, and contribution and indemnity.
John also handles a variety of commercial and contractual matters, including claims arising from breach of contract, insurance and indemnity disputes, and maritime bunkers sales.
Areas of Focus
Maritime Law
John has represented vessels, offshore drilling contractors, terminals, and a major independent marine fuel supplier in personal injury and commercial maritime cases under Jones Act, LHWCA and general maritime law. Acting as lead counsel, John successfully prosecuted at trial in Beaumont federal court (and held on appeal) a marine terminal lost profit claim in an Oil Pollution Act matter.
Transportation
John has handled cases involving serious personal injury and death claims arising from the loading and operation of cars, vans, trucks, and tractor-trailers. Among other cases tried, John successfully represented a transportation company and its driver, obtaining a defense verdict in a wrongful death claim arising from the tractor-trailer colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
Products Liability
In the area of products liability, John has represented manufacturers of cranes, man lifts, valve actuators, paper mill equipment, plastic gas cans, bicycles, steel plate, cluster bombs, tires, welding equipment and tire rims.
Toxic Tort Litigation
John has handled toxic tort cases involving, among others, nickel, chromium, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, zirconium, asbestos and silica. In a Gulf War Syndrome case (putative class action), he obtained dismissal of a manufacturer that had pled guilty in a companion criminal case, based on a motion for summary judgment that, in part, invoked international treaties defining biochemical weapons.
- University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1985)
- with honors
- Baylor University (B.A., 1982)
- magna cum laude
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association
- Jefferson County Bar Association
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2024-2026
- Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers®, 2024
- Selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 United States in Shipping Litigation & Regulation Tier 3, 2023-2024
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- ABOTA Advocate
- Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell
- AVVO “Superb” Rating
- The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation (2017–2023); Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2012–2021); Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (2020–2021); Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2021)
- “Houston’s Top Lawyers,” H Texas Magazine, 2007-2008, 2011–present
- Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters® service, 2004–2022