Asbestos Lawsuits and Claims: Be Careful in Picking your Attorney

This blog doesn’t really involve history, but I think it important.

I seem to get Mesothelioma related ads almost continually, with many focused on the choice of attorneys for those who are potentially interested in pursuing claims. As you may know, I have a web page at https://theasbestosblog.com/?page_id=172 that provides my thoughts as to what you as a sufferer or a family member should look for in counsel and the process you may want to use to select counsel. I provide this information “on the house”, and anyone who wants to contact me will get plenty of free advice.

The American Bar Association has model rules for attorney advertising which, whether they directly apply to your search or not, are a good baseline. These rules prohibit using the phrase “certified” unless counsel meets specific qualifications. They also require that an attorney’s name and firm be on the ad; that is, they can’t hide behind trade names or catchy phrases without identifying themselves. In summary:

Unfortunately, it seems that a number of the Facebook and LinkedIn ads by attorneys violate or skirt these rules. If you want examples, just send me an email as I don’t want to unfairly point fingers at any particular law firm or its advertising department as there seems to be so many violations.

My point is this: (1) attorneys who represent asbestos disease sufferers are not fungible goods, but rather it makes a difference in terms of their quality, their staffing, and their experience in the particular jurisdiction; and (2) ask questions of the various people who have been in your situation, whether Mavis Nye in England, Julie Powers or Linda Reinstein in the United States, or similarly situated people in your country. They may choose to not give specific recommendations, but they may provide information and advice on the pitfalls to avoid.

Please ignore the ads which claim certification or some general “expertise” without the details unless the ad also identifies the certifying organization. Please ignore the ads that don’t easily disclose the attorney and firm which is behind the marketing. If they can’t be trusted at the outset, then they should not be trusted as your attorney.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments either in the comment section or by emailing me at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thanks. Marty