Lawyer ads | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I have noticed an increase in legal ads on many TV channels. These ads suggest that the insurance companies are dishonest and unfair with regard to claim settlements. The ads seem to be encouraging Utah citizens to be more litigious.

The charge of unfair settlements does not match my experience when dealing with insurance claims. I have always been treated fairly. There are lot of honest insurance companies and agents, and many are good community members who are now being ridiculed.

I estimate that lawyer-sponsored ads are approaching 15 percent of all ads in Utah, and the local TV channels will show four or five lawyer ads within each half-hour period, especially on weekend mornings. More lawyers are advertising every month.

It is evident that the lawyers have changed their rules of ethics, or eliminated them. Because of the threat of lawsuits, everyone else's insurance rates have to increase. All settlements should be made public.

Grant Rees

Logan