TV Lawyer Commercials

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I posted this over at SWF a few minutes ago and thought I'd post it here too..

 

Has anyone else seen those TV ads for mesothelioma lawyers? You know the ones, they seem to claim that they can get big cash rewards for people suffering from mesothelioma.

 

What are your opinions of such commercials? Do you see it as high tech "ambulance chasing"? It sort of conjurs up an image of some New York City personal injury lawyer trying to get someone to sue for emotional distress because the McDonald's didn't get them their coffee fast enough.

 

Just a random thought... lol

[Kor37 9]

It absolutely is ambulance chasing. Mesothelioma is easy money for lawyers because they go after companys that used asbestos in their products or workplaces decades ago before the danger of asbestos was realized. They know that rather than go through a long court battle, these companys will settle in most cases. I sat on a jury in just such a case a few years ago. The lawyers involved on both sides all knew each other on a first name basis. Thats because they try the exact same case over and over again using the same evidence and arguements. The only thing that changes is the name of the plaintiff. Its a real dog and pony show. Jurisprudence at its worst.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I agree, do you think that there's any real service to those suffering from mesothelioma in all of this? What was the outcome in the case you were involved in?

 

Is there any social value in the "ambulance chasing"? By that I mean that could it eventually force someone into finding cures?

 

I know it's kind of a deep subject but the commercials just tend to get on my nerves and it just seems that they only grow in numbers each year.

[Kor37 9]

In the case I was involved in, the plaintiff had already died before the case went to court. The outcome was typical in these cases. While the jury was deliberating, the defending company caved and settled. So the jury was sent home and the lawyers from both sides went out to have a beer to celebrate.......

[VaBeachGuy 12]

In the case I was involved in, the plaintiff had already died before the case went to court. The outcome was typical in these cases. While the jury was deliberating, the defending company caved and settled. So the jury was sent home and the lawyers from both sides went out to have a beer to celebrate.......

And collect their fat commission on the case.

[Bethlehem 7]

There should be laws against but in my state it seems most of the congress are lawyers.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Let's put it into perspective by a little history - the purpose of tort law (civil as opposed to criminal cases) was to let citizens police certain bhaviors and keep law enforcement agencies out of it. And in some cases - like neighbors disputing the placement of a fence - the theory seems valid. But I think product liability lawsuits may have outgrown that usefulness.

 

Tort law came into its own in the US with the advent of railroads (okay who's going to pay for the farm field burned by stray sparks from the smokestack). And it has mushroomed ever since. Sometimes companies really deserve to be sued - and on top of damages courts will award punitive damages to punish the "evil doer" - this really results in an unfair windfall to that particular plaintiff while others equally damaged may get nothing.

 

My personal opinion is that some of these cases need to go back to the criminal side - ie rather than individuals repeatedly sueing the same company - I think it would be more economical for the state to pursue those who are truly acting in bad faith - have them pay a fine and divvy it up between everyone injured. This is the theory behind class action lawsuits. Most people probably get some sort of notice at one time or another that they're a member of a class action lawsuit but it's probably not anything anyone cares about. I know there was one about what companies charged for CDs (the music kind).

 

There was a time when lawyers were prohibited from advertising.

 

My personal opinion (and this will surprise some of you) but IMO the legal profession is the one profession that should be socialized - ie all lawyers were paid the same salary by the state and all citizens had a right to to legal counsel. Yeah, it will never fly - after all the majority of those who write our laws and serve in congress are lawyers.

 

And one cheerful thought - the number one target of malpractice suits is not doctors - it's lawyers.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I probably wouldn't disagree with socializing access to lawyers, and to a small (very small) extent it is that way with public defenders.

 

As for the mesothelioma ads and Personal Injury Lawyers I suppose they serve their purpose and in some cases do a good service. I know that if I had mesothelioma I'd want someone representing me or if I had been in an accident that was someone elses fault I'd want a good New York Personal Injury Lawyer (or Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer... don't want to leave out the Windy City lol) or any good personal injury lawyer representing me.

 

I just get annoyed by so many of these TV commercials that seem to stress that it's all about money and encourage people to "sue, sue, sue!"

[Voyager recruit 0]

Ehhh...here's something interesting, V.B...Shatner recently had a part in a commercial for a local attorney. Obviously, said member of the bar has lots 'o bucks to fork over-but then.....was cool to see Bill on some local commercial, at any rate....

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

This is proof that our justice system is broken.

 

I mean... My God! Kor37 on a jury?

[Kor37 9]

This is proof that our justice system is broken.

 

I mean... My God! Kor37 on a jury?

Yeah.....definitive proof that we need professional jurys......... :biggrin:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I've never been called for jury duty, the only time I'd have been really interested (which would have also disqualified me lol) would have been the D.C. sniper trials that took place here a few years ago (one was in Chesapeake and one was in Virginia Beach).

 

I do find it somewhat amusing that we're talking about commercials for Personal Injury Lawyers and all that and the google ads have customized themselves for personal injury lawyers. :biggrin:

[Kor37 9]

I've been called for jury duty every single year since my 18th birthday! It ticks me off that I go every year and I know some people who never get called!

[VaBeachGuy 12]

They must like the way you sit in the jury box lol. In the 22 years since my 18th birthday I've never been called. Of course only 1 of those 22 years was spent living in Maryland so maybe if I had lived some of the last 22 in Maryland I'd have gotten the call. Then again, I have 3 older brothers that still live in Maryland and they've never been called either.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

It is strange that some people never get called. In FL they used to just used voter registration (some people wouldn't register to vote because they didn't want to do jury duty) but then they added all licensed drivers. I've been called to appear but did get selected. They called about ten times the amount they needed.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Never been called.

[RikerChick 5]

I've never been called either.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Been called once and was on a jury once. It was a resisting arrest case in connection with another crime (never found out what the other crime was) and the guy was a felon even before this.

 

I was on call to be called another time but never had to go in.

[Angela 1]

never been called wanna be called

[Bethlehem 7]

called but picked to serve

[Gary Phaserman 0]

Never been called for Jury Duty, but if I ever get a motorcycle, if I get ran over you can bet I'll call the Law Tigers! lol, j/k. I'll just call Krissy's dad. I get a discount on the fees.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Crap, I keep forgetting Krissy's dad is a lawyer.

[oldfan1 0]

I am waiting for one of the ambulance chasers to have a TV commercial that if you ate beans or broccoli for dinner and suffered from flatulence afterward that you may be entitled to large sums of money for social embarrassment. Can you see someone suing for flatulence? I can, they sue for everything else.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Been called once and was on a jury once. It was a resisting arrest case in connection with another crime (never found out what the other crime was) and the guy was a felon even before this.

 

I was on call to be called another time but never had to go in.

 

I was summoned once for a county I no longer lived in. I was a full-time college student living in the dorms the entire time so I shouldn't have even made it to their list.

 

More recently I got a notice at a place I had moved out of over a year ago, although I still have the same zip code. I'm friends with the guy who lives there now so he sent me the summons. I didn't respond to it and was never contacted about it. This was a Federal court too.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Well, change in status... I have been selected as a possible juror, but I didn't actually have to go in for jury duty. The week I was on-call, four of the five days never called for jurors, and the one day that did, my number was not one of the ones selected.

[Kor37 9]

Well, change in status... I have been selected as a possible juror, but I didn't actually have to go in for jury duty. The week I was on-call, four of the five days never called for jurors, and the one day that did, my number was not one of the ones selected.

 

We have a different system here. When we get selected for jury duty, we have to go in for 1 day and sit in a jury room all day. Once or at most twice, you might get called down to a courtroom for possible jury selection by the lawyers. If you don't get picked by the end of the day, your jury duty is considered completed for at least a year. Its called a 1 day or 1 trial jury duty.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Slightly different here. We are "on call" for a whole week and might get a couple hours notice if we have to appear. They used to have a hotline to call but recently they finally went online with it. If you have to go in and are picked for a jury you are clear for at least a year, but if you aren't picked you are still in the pool and might have to go in again that week. After that week, however, you are clear for a year. If you are in the pool and *don't* have to go in they can add you to another pool later on that year.

 

What sucks about the process is they will keep you in the pool even though it is unlikely you will be picked. Let's say the pool is 500. It is Thursday night and so far 50 people have been picked for juries. That leaves 450 people in the pool they can use for that last 12-person jury that is formed on Friday morning. Clearly they don't need all 450 people but they will not release anyone from the pool early.

 

Now, if I am charged with a crime, and I am entitled to a jury of my peers, then aren't my peers people who had been charged with the same crime?

[Bethlehem 7]

I would say that would depend on the nature of your crime. Just taking a wild quess, I suspect there are plenty of dirty minded old men out there. :)

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

I wasn't even thinking about that. I was thinking that if I was charged with a *real* crime, theft or assault or something like that, is a jury of doctors, engineers, teachers, etc. really a jury of my peers?

[Bethlehem 7]

Those you listed are professionals and I thought from your some were in your posts you were too. CPA or something of that nature.