IT’S RAFI’S WORLD AND WE’RE JUST LIVING IN IT!
ACCIDENT LAWYERS KEEP THE BILLBOARD INDUSTRY IN BUSINESS
Last week as I was cruising west down I-10 and coming back from breakfast with friends in downtown Phoenix, my buddies started looking at the billboards along the freeway. Curious thing . . . That day it hit 106 degrees, but we only saw two billboards hawking A/C. What we did see in our 15-mile drive, however, were 30 billboards extolling the virtues of various local accident attorneys . . .
A clarion call to naked greed! At least he’s honest?
Photo by Cactus Reports
I have this vision of your typical accident attorney, perhaps unfairly, of a guy who barely made it out of law school. He desperately needed to get through the three-year grind any way he could. It was either do that, or sell used cars and he didn’t want to stand on his feet all day. After graduating toward the bottom, he finally makes it after failing the bar exam the first time around and ends up making more money than any of his classmates!
You see these signs everywhere. As they say, it’s Rafi’s world and we’re just living in it.
Photo by Cactus Reports
Having served in the Arizona legislature back in the 90’s, tort reform became a leading issue when my good friend (deceased) John Greene became president of the Senate. As a corporate attorney he wanted to curb abuses in the tort system. We only had marginal successes.
Perhaps the holy grail of tort reform is the cap on damages. While no one should support a cap on either quantifiable physical or monetary damages to plaintiffs, abuses can occur when juries award punitive damages, or damages for pain and suffering. These awards have no relation to actual monetary damages and they can dwarf verifiable claims. Insurance companies often settle because they want to avoid the added risk of being a plaintiff’s lottery ticket.
The Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, now known as the Arizona Association for Justice, has an effective lobby at the legislature. It has stopped major tort reform in the state for decades and has supported tort friendly candidates from both political parties. Thanks in part to this justice loving lobby, we have a plethora of accident attorneys from which to choose.
So, you get injured in a car accident and then a couple of days later come up with a classic case of whiplash. You’re thinking you might need a good lawyer, but with so many to choose from it gets so confusing. Perhaps Lerner & Rowe is the way to go, but then you see those signs for RAFI! everywhere, ya know? You’re about ready to call RAFI! when you find out the Law Tigers are on your side, but then Hastings & Hastings offers you a discount. Who doesn’t want a good discount?
These guys spend $30 million a year so that you can remember their phone number!
Photo by Cactus Reports
Just about the time you settle on Hastings & Hastings you see those commercials for the Husband & Wife Law Team. They tell you those other rascals want you to settle out of court and you could be missing BIG BUCKS! In fact, Arizona juries awarded plaintiffs on average $820,486 in personal injury cases last year. Arizona Personal Injury Settlements and Verdicts
You see those signs for Lloyd Baker on city buses all over town and think, “I once had a pastor named Lloyd Baker. It must be a sign.” Then there’s Sweet James. How do you say no to someone like that?
How can you go wrong with a guy named Sweet?
Photo by Cactus Reports
Bottom line, since 1977 when attorneys could legally advertise, they have been a boon to the billboard industry as well as the print and broadcast media. Lerner & Rowe alone spends $30 million a year trolling for prospective clients! How Much Do Lerner and Rowe Spend on Advertising? — Torres Marketing
According to Sen. David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista) the hidden costs of the tort industry in Arizona amount to $3449 per household. Abuses in the tort system can have an insidious impact on insurance costs, medical bills, business operations, etc. . .. To Lower Costs for Families and Businesses, We Must End Lawsuit Abuse | Arizona Capitol Times According to Bankrate, Arizona has the 12th highest car insurance rates in the nation. Car Insurance Rates by State for 2025 | Bankrate
The next time you take a drive down the interstate, look at the billboards and you’ll see where the money is. Some of that is coming out of your pocket.