What do you guys think; should advertising “no win, no fee” guarantees be banned?
Seems pretty extreme but it is a view which has been taken in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia!
The so called ‘ambulance chasers’ have been banned from advertising their services and it is a ban that Attorney-General John Hatzistergos is campaigning to have blanketed across Australia.
There are currently loopholes by way of pop ups on websites and disclaimer’s which many personal injury firms are using to get around the regulations but in 2008 the managing partner of Keddies (the largest personal injury firm listed in New South Wales) was fined $10,000.00 for advertising!
The Attorney-General even went so far as to describe the practices are “deceptive” and “predatory”.
Some states have not implemented bans for personal injury firms to advertise on the internet and many firms continue to advertise in this way due to this. However, campaigns are being upped to ensure that all states are reading from the same page and the law is enforced evenly across the country.
Whilst the ban does not yet appear water tight it would seem that very soon you will have to do some digging around to find some representation if you need a personal injury lawyer in Oz!
What do you think; a bit extreme or maybe fair?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but at the end of the day no one can force you to make a claim with them. Sure, they can give you the hard sell but you are free to end that conversation and not take the claim any further with them as you can with any other type of legal claim so what is the difference with personal injury lawyers?
The important thing to remember is to do your research. Make sure you are getting the best service possible and you are happy and comfortable with your solicitor.
