Tennessee Jury Verdict Reporter 2018
In the April 4 and April 25, 2018, articles in the Silly Blog (affectionately named by last year’s second highest money spending lawyer advertisers) I pointed out the trial (not settlements) results of the seven most prolific social media spenders in the Hamilton County markets.
I was able to obtain the 2016 figures spent on lawyer advertising by the five personal injury and two bankruptcy firms through the help of another anonymous competitor of the top five from Kantar Media. Unfortunately I have not been able to get the 2017-2018 numbers for some reason but the dollars spent are stated in the August 1, 2017, Silly Blog article titled Lawyer Advertising is Not Free. If any reader has access to the 2017-2018 Kantar Media financial figures for Hamilton County I would appreciate receiving a copy. Your identity will not be revealed!
What did the Tennessee Jury Verdict Reporter show as how the big spenders and self-avowed great trial lawyers fare with the jury or judges in trials during the last year?
Charles Pitman—evidently the guy in the Superman cape (Had a wreck need a check?) has left the Volunteer State and returned to his home base of Huntsville without any verdicts being reported.
Warren & Griffin—of “We have collected millions of dollars on behalf of our clients in judgments and settlements.” The record of Mr. Warren’s named partner is a little bit unclear since there is a “John Griffin” and a “John Griffin, Jr.” in Middle Tennessee listed as trying cases during the years 2005-2018. There is no listing of a John Mark Griffin obtaining any judgments in 2018. His partner in the Big Orange overalls tried two cases during the years 2005-2018 with one loss and a verdict for $628.00.
“The Insiders” (McMahan Law Firm) seem to be spending more time on television than they do in the courtroom. Both of them showed only one new case tried in 2018.
One of the problems with the Tennessee Jury Verdict reporter is that it is just a thirteen years compilation of cases tried but doesn’t indicate in what years the trial took place.
A comparison of the “Gotta Get Gary” (Massey) trial record shows that he didn’t try any cases in 2018 and the period from 2005-2017 only show the same statistics.
The record of the “Billboard Boys from Birmingham” (Wettermark Keith) show that the senior or junior member of the firm didn’t try any cases in Hamilton County in 2018 and show no jury verdicts in Tennessee as well. However, they have pretty much cornered the billboard market in the Hamilton County market but do not list their home base of Birmingham, Alabama.
What do these statistics show? Although in their advertising they create the impression that they are active trial lawyers in the Tennessee court system their claims of millions of dollars collected in court are greatly exaggerated! Is this “Deceptive?” That is for the reader and potential clients to decide.
Talk to several lawyers before you make the important decision as to who you want to represent you. Slick ads and self-serving testimonials by lawyers or alleged satisfied clients should not be the deciding factor in making your decision.
I encourage you to buy local products and hire local, reputable attorneys!