Injury Lawyer Referral Service Found Unethical-Consumers Beware
The Florida Bar is cracking down on scores of personal injury lawyers who have benefited from the 1-800-ASK-GARY referral service. The investigation appears to be an indictment of the Ask Gary advertising style, which is heavy on personal testimonials from accident victims who call the toll-free hot line for help.
The Florida Bar prohibits such testimonials and dramatizations in ads by lawyers and legal referral services. Even receiving a client from such an ad is a violation. The Ask Gary ads are produced by Physicians Group LLC, which is a chain of accident clinics based in Sarasota.
Late last year, the Bar sent out more than 100 letters to personal injury lawyers across Florida who it thought got client referrals from Ask Gary operators. The Florida Bar has taken action against at least 34 lawyers across Florida that it found accepted referrals from Ask Gary, in violation of Bar rules.
The Bar is targeting the Ask Gary ads because their personal testimonies are emotional appeals, Marvin said. The Florida Bar believes consumers should choose a lawyer based on facts, not emotion, so it prohibits lawyers from creating such ads and prohibits them from getting referrals from services that use them. We absolutely agree and believe that outrageous lawyer advertising has made it difficult for consumers to choose the right lawyer and has cast our profession in a negative light.
