“1-800-Ask-Gary.” “Ask-Dave.” “Ask-Kobe.” It seems that more and more TV commercials for these lawyer referral services are becoming commonplace. But, who is behind these services? Dave, Gary, and Kobe do not appear in their own commercials. Usually, the commercials are composed of testimonials given by people who claim to have been injured, and then called these numbers, and everything was OK. What kind of services do they provide? Their television ads claim that, if you are injured in an accident, they can provide you with everything you need for your case. The ads assume there is a case.
According to a 2006 article in St. Pete Times, most of those behind these “Ask-Whomever” ads are not attorneys. Dave is actually an attorney with a firm in Polk County. However, Gary and Jerry are actually chiropractors. Kobe, actually Leonard, is also a chiropractor. So, these doctors lure achy people into their clinic and bill the injureds’ PIP carriers.
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2006 that Trial lawyer J. Steele Olmstead of Tampa claimed that a Florida personal injury law firm solicited accident victims through Ask Gary chiropractor, Gary Kompothecras. Olmstead claimed he called 1-800-ASK-GARY posing as an accident victim. Then, one hour later he received a call from a paralegal at the firm. The law firm denied wrongdoing.
Bar regulation of attorney advertisements is a hot topic in recent times and has been for years. But, who regulates these non-lawyer advertisers to make sure there is no wrongdoing?
