A new report released today by the American Tort Reform Association reveals a concerning trend: trial lawyers are spending unprecedented amounts on advertising to recruit clients, often at the expense of public health and well-being.
The report estimates that in 2024, roughly $2.5 billion was spent on nearly 27 million legal services ads across the United States. In comparison, this staggering figure dwarfs the $1.1 billion spent by pizza restaurants on 4.1 million ads.
“These numbers are a wake-up call,” said Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association. “Trial lawyers are flooding the airwaves and digital spaces with aggressive ads, some of which prioritize their profits over the health and safety of consumers.”
The report highlights several key findings:
The Top 3 markets for spending on these ads are also in locations designated as “Judicial Hellholes®” by the American Tort Reform Foundation.
The report raises concerns about the impact of these ads on public health. ATRA notes an FDA study that found 66 reports of adverse events, including seven deaths, following patients discontinuing their blood thinner medication after viewing a lawyer advertisement.
“These over-the-top ads from personal injury attorneys with catchy jingles and toll-free numbers can pose a serious danger,” Joyce said. “These ads undermine the simple notion that physicians and health care providers – not personal injury lawyers or the ‘aggregators’ who run the ads for the lawyer – should dispense medical advice.”
The full report on legal services advertising is available here and utilizes Vivvix data.
