Trial Lawyer TV Ads for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Grew 1,400 Percent in Last Four...

Trial Lawyer TV Ads for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Grew 1,400 Percent in
Last Four Years, Study Shows

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Television advertisements
soliciting plaintiffs for medical malpractice lawsuits increased from about
10,150 ads in 2004 to more than 156,000 ads in 2008--nearly a 1,400 percent
increase in four years, according to a new study released today. The study
showed that spending for these ads increased from $3.8 million to nearly $62
million during this time period--a 1,300 percent increase in 2008-adjusted
dollars.

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Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform,
which sponsored the study, said the finding is a window into what appears to
be the growing role of medical malpractice cases in the overall litigation
landscape. "Lawsuits are ultimately a business driven by the plaintiffs' bar,
and when you see the marketing of medical malpractice lawsuits exploding like
this, it tells you that these lawsuits are a growing sector within the larger
lawsuit industry," she said.

The study was conducted by the Campaign Media Analysis Group. Evan Tracey, the
firm's president and veteran advertising analyst, said, "There is no question
that the number of ads airing has increased dramatically," said Tracey. "As
with every other advertising sector, marketers tend to go with what is
working," he said.

This new evidence of growth in plaintiffs' lawyer medical malpractice lawsuits
comes amid an increased focus on medical liability reform--or lack thereof--in
the larger healthcare reform debate.

In August, former Vermont Governor and Democratic National Committee Chairman
Dr. Howard Dean made a telling statement when he answered a question at a
Congressional town hall meeting about the lack of medical liability reform in
the current healthcare reform proposals. Dean responded, "The reason that tort
reform is not in the bill is because the people that wrote it did not want to
take on the trial lawyers in addition to everybody else they were taking on,
and that is the plain and simple truth."

"This study is yet another piece of evidence that we need meaningful medical
liability reform as a key ingredient of any workable healthcare reform
package," said Rickard.

To see the findings of the plaintiffs' lawyer medical malpractice advertising
study, along with the methodology, go to
www.instituteforlegalreform.com/medmalstudy.

ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political,
judicial, and educational activities at the national, state, and local levels.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more
than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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SOURCE U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Mark Szymanski of U.S. Chamber, +1-202-463-5874