If you have ever been home during the daytime, especially around the New Orleans area, you have seen countless lawyer ads on TV. Some are pictured on top of 18-wheelers, others jump in between two cars like superheroes and stop an accident from happening, and many are shaking hands and kissing babies. Some dance for you and some even shout AT you!
“Have you been in a wreck with an 18-wheeler and are now severely disabled?” You’ve heard this before. But what’s the point? Why are these TV lawyers advertising this way? Here’s the truth about TV lawyer advertising:
They want a lot of insurance: In Louisiana, the minimum amount of liability insurance a person must have to drive legally is only $15,000 per person (up to $30,000 per accident). That’s not a lot. In fact, Louisiana has the lowest amount of required liability insurance in the nation.
On the other hand, 18-wheelers and other big commercial vehicles are typically required to have large amounts of liability insurance, not just minimum coverage. TV lawyers know this and try to target people who have been involved in accidents with big trucks.
They want big injuries: The bigger the injury, the larger potential recovery in a personal injury case. If a person is permanently disabled, they may have very large lost earnings or lost future wage claims and significant future medical bills. TV lawyers have A LOT of overhead and want to target these cases in order to pay their bills.
Actors: Ever read the fine print below one of those ads? A lot of the time, the person who said they received the big check is not the actual client. They are an actor getting paid for pretending to be a client. While the ad must be based on a real case, as long as the TV attorney gets their ad approved (and pays money to do so), it is considered okay.
You got how much?: “He got me $400,000!” Wow, those big numbers are impressive. What they don’t reveal is the amount paid from that number, including the lawyers’ fees, case expenses, and medical bills. The client may have actually only gotten ¼ of that amount, but you will never know.
Our advice: Don’t believe everything you see. When hiring a lawyer for your car wreck, ask questions and check out real reviews. Interview the attorney to see if they are the right fit for you.
Have You Been Injured In A Covington Area Wreck?
If you've been hurt in a car accident and are looking for a real lawyer with real proven results contact us online or call our Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. Flattmann Law serves clients on the Northshore, including Covington, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Folsom, Hammond, Lacombe, Pearl River, and Slidell.
