| You need to know a few things about
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| | undermine your lawyer's credibility
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| lawyer advertising. For example, if you
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| | during trial. Do you want jurors to
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| look through the yellow pages you'll see
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| | remember your lawyer as the one who can
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| that the ads placed by attorneys all say
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| | get BIG MONEY DAMAGES or FAST SETTLEMENTS
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| essentially the same thing. Very few of
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| | $$$ for pain and suffering?? Jurors watch
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| them actually give good useful
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| | television, too, you know.
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| information to make it easier for you to
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| | Lawyer TV Ads: A word to the wise Did you
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| choose a good lawyer for your case.
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| | know that there are companies that offer
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| Although the yellow pages are a good
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| | prewritten and pre-shot TV commercials
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| place to get names of attorneys, you need
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| | for personal injury attorneys? You've
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| to be aware of the following points when
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| | probably seen one. Sometimes a famous
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| it comes to lawyer advertising:
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| | actor is used (like Robert Vaughan,
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| **There is no rule which requires that
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| | William Shatner or Eric Estrada). Other
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| the lawyer have a minimum amount of
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| | times an attractive man or woman is shown
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| experience handling the case which the
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| | speaking behind a desk or holding a legal
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| lawyer wants to advertise.
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| | book or doing something else to act like
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| **Although the bar association has rules
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| | a lawyer. The person says something like,
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| that govern lawyer advertising, it
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| | ¡§If you've been in an accident, get
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| usually does not actively investigate,
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| | the money you deserve. Speak to an
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| restrict or determine whether each lawyer
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| | attorney for free. Call
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| who advertises is a specialist or has
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| | 1-800-XXXXXXX.¡¨ What you need to know
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| experience with the type of case being
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| | is that many times your call is routed to
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| advertised. This means a lawyer can
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| | a call center that randomly sends your
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| advertise that she is a "divorce lawyer"
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| | call to the next attorney ¡§in
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| or "personal injury attorney"¨ when that
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| | line.¡¨ The next one "in line" is an
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| lawyer may have limited experience or
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| | attorney who has actually paid a hefty
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| knowledge of that area of the law.
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| | fee to be on the ¡§list.¡¨ Any
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| **There are virtually no restrictions on
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| | attorney with enough money can pay to be
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| the different types of law that the
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| | on the list, including attorneys who have
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| lawyer wants to advertise. Therefore, you
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| | never tried a case in court. Many times
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| should be extremely careful about
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| | the attorney who has paid the fee is not
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| choosing an attorney based solely on that
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| | necessarily the most experienced lawyer
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| attorney's advertising claim, whether the
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| | for your case. Now I'm not saying that
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| ad is in the phone book or on television.
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| | all attorneys who use TV advertising are
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| **Any attorney can buy a big slick ad in
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| | inexperienced. But you should not rely on
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| the yellow pages. The phone book company
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| | TV advertising alone when choosing a
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| typically does not verify the claims that
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| | lawyer. Just a word to the wise.
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| are being made in the ad. In many cases
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| | Case Study: T.V. Personal Injury Lawyer
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| the phone book company does not even
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| | Fails Client
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| verify that the person is a licensed
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| | Here's a sad story about a lawyer who
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| attorney in good standing! Use caution.
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| | advertised on T.V. in Rochester, New
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| **A lawyer who advertises does not mean
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| | York. The attorney, Jim Schapiro, ran
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| that that lawyer will be handling your
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| | aggressive T.V. commercials which
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| case. Some lawyers simply run
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| | promised to obtain large financial
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| advertisements and then refer outmost or
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| | settlements for victims, referred to
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| all of the clients to other lawyers to do
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| | himself as "the meanest, nastiest S.O.B.
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| the work in exchange for a referral fee.
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| | in town" and claimed to have aggressive
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| Such a lawyer essentially acts like a
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| | courtroom prowess. Schapiro, who called
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| referral broker. Be especially cautious
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| | himself "The Hammer" had law offices in
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| of ads placed by out of state attorneys.
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| | the states of New York and Florida.
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| Because of state licensing requirements,
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| | In 2002, one of Schapiro's clients,
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| these attorneys will usually have to
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| | Christopher Wagner, sued Schapiro for
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| refer the case to a lawyer who is
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| | malpractice. Mr. Wagner had been injured
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| licensed to practice law in Washington.
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| | in a car accident and had responded to
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| **A lawyer who purchases full page ads in
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| | one of Mr. Schapiro's television ads. Mr.
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| the yellow pages, or pays for slick T.V.
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| | Wagner alleged that he had incurred
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| commercials, does not necessarily mean
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| | medical bills of $182,000 but that
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| that the lawyer is super successful. Some
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| | Schapiro's firm advised him to accept a
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| lawyers who pay for such advertising
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| | settlement of only $65,000 from the
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| operate a "volume practice" for the
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| | driver and then promised that he could
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| purpose of making just a little money on
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| | get more money by filing suit against the
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| the numerous cases that are generated
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| | state of New York. It turned out that the
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| from the ad. Many times a "volume
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| | state had no liability for the accident
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| practice" attorney tries to settle all or
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| | and Schapiro never pursued Mr. Wagner's
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| most of the cases to earn the most amount
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| | case further.
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| of money in the least amount of time. The
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| | In a video deposition, Jim Schapiro
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| only time you may see this lawyer is if
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| | testified that he had never tried a
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| his face appears in the ad!
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| | personal injury case in court and that he
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| **Some lawyers who run big ads to fill
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| | had been living in Florida for the last
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| their "volume practices" will rarely even
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| | seven years. Mr. Wagner's attorney also
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| work on a case. These lawyers farm out
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| | discovered that Schapiro's Rochester law
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| every aspect of the case to a paralegal
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| | firm staffed just one lawyer who had only
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| or legal assistant. The only time the
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| | tried four cases. A New York jury found
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| lawyer may even look at your case is
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| | that Schapiro had engaged in misleading
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| after it has settled and the lawyer wants
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| | and deceptive advertising and that he
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| to collect his fee!
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| | committed malpractice. Schapiro was
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| **Be cautious of lawyer ads that create
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| | ordered to pay $1.5 million to Wagner.
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| unjustified expectations. For example, if
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| | Consequently, in 2004 Schapiro was
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| the lawyer advertises that he can obtain
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| | suspended for practicing law for one year
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| "Fast Settlements in 30 Days" he probably
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| | by the State of New York. In 2005,
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| never goes to trial and settles cases for
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| | Schapiro was then suspended from
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| far less than what they are actually
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| | practicing law in Florida for one year.
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| worth. In most cases, good settlements
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| | In 2004, four additional clients sued
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| take time and effort.
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| | Schapiro alleging that he had engaged in
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| **Sometimes the lawyer's advertising can
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| | misleading advertising and had committed
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| negatively affect your own case. If your
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| | malpractice. Thereafter Schapiro stopped
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| case goes to trial and jurors recognize
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| | practicing law and instead now writes
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| your lawyer from his advertising, it may
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| | books for injury victims.
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