ADVERTISING TO “HELP” INJURED PEOPLE
Over the years, we’ve all seen an explosion of TV advertising for injured people. Almost all of the ads involve a variation of a promise to get the injured person what they “deserve”. Aside from the fact that “deserving” compensation does not necessarily follow from an injury, the sad truth is that this constant “we’ll get you what you deserve” advertising has negatively impacted truly hurt people, and their ability to manage their injury treatment and finances until they can recover.
Also, in my opinion, this “we’ll get you what you deserve” advertising has had a truly negative impact on the general public. If an injury case goes to a jury trial, it creates the largest hurdle that a victim must overcome; that is, differentiating themselves, their attorneys, and their health care providers from others in the litigation lottery “get what you deserve” industry. Indeed the vast majority of the “we’ll get you what you deserve” type of lawyers wouldn’t know what the inside of a courtroom looks like, but they sure tell their clients what great “trial lawyers” they are.
Believe me, as a Past President of the Florida Trial Lawyers (now the Florida Justice Association), I’ve had the honor of getting to know and being associated with the true trial lawyers here in Florida, and elsewhere in the nation, and not one of them is in the “get what you deserve” advertising game.
A real trial lawyer is ethical, honest, straight shooting, and not afraid to wait for the knock on the door when a jury reaches a verdict in trial.
Remember the old Syms clothing store commercials: “An educated consumer is our best customer”? It is so easy now with the ability to search and shop on the internet, to really check out lawyers and health care providers if you need help. Why every person who has been injured or damaged by a wrongful act of others doesn’t do this is beyond me?Yesterday, the Miami New Times newspaper printed a terrific story about a large injury advertising network here in South Florida: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-12-09/news/crash-course-411-pain-network-will-line-their-pockets-with-your-insurance-money/