CHARLESTON – Businesses of all types are learning to adjust and adapt amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. That includes attorneys and law firms.
But some people – including fellow lawyers – have called out some trial attorneys for advertising their services during the pandemic.
West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, a statewide legal reform group, has called out one advertisement in particular that has been airing in the Huntington-Charleston television market for the last several weeks. It’s a 30-second commercial by the Stewart Bell Law Firm in Charleston.
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“If you have a loved one in a nursing home or another care facility, it’s more important than ever that they are being properly cared for and that you are being properly kept informed,” the voiceover actress says to at the beginning of the spot before saying the attorneys at Stewart Bell are still working and set up to help with legal matters by phone, email or text. “You never even have to leave your house.
“If you suspect any kind of neglect or mistreatment of your loved one, don’t wait to get legal help. Call, text or visit us online right away. In these times of uncertainty, Stewart Bell knows what to do.”
WV CALA Executive Director Jordan Burgess said such advertisements are disgusting.
“It is sad, yet not surprising, that greedy personal injury attorneys would be shamelessly running ads focused on victims of COVID-19, as we are in the middle of this crisis,” Burgess said. “While health care and job providers are focused on trying to keep people safe and healthy, personal injury lawyers are once again trying to use our legal system as their personal ATMs to try and quench their insatiable lust for cash.”
Burgess said WV CALA wants to shine a spotlight on these types of ads.
“In addition to working with legislative leaders to come up with a solution to protect health care and job providers as they work on COVID-19 response, WV CALA will be highlighting personal injury lawyer greed as they run shameless ads and simultaneously try and buy state Supreme Court seats in the primary election,” he said.
Jeff Stewart, managing partner of Stewart Bell, did not return calls and messages seeking comment. The firm has built a reputation of handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases.
An of counsel attorney with Stewart Bell, however, said the legal world has slowed but not stopped during the pandemic and that “people need help during these times.”
“Emergency cases are going on,” Harry Bell told The West Virginia Record. “They can’t wait. Some lawyers are not operating right now, or it’s difficult to reach some of them. Others are out there and ready to serve people.”
Bell said he wasn’t involved in the decision to run the advertisement in question. But he did have some criticism for WV CALA.
“Where was that group when it came time to talk about what standards certain facilities needed to follow to take care of patients, such as nursing homes,” Bell said. “These law firms merely have adjusted advertising to make people aware they can still seek help and talk to an attorney without going into an office. All sorts of other businesses have done something similar.
“It’s important for businesses, including law firms, to update their message right now.”
Another Charleston attorney, however, called out all lawyer advertising during the pandemic.
“My law firm, The Webb Law Centre, will not advertise during this period,” Rusty Webb wrote in a social media post. “I find lawyer advertising during this critical juncture in our lives to fall anywhere between disappointing to disgusting.
“My and our efforts … are focused on the welfare and safety of our families, staff, clients and, most importantly, health care workers. Our neighbors are literally dying each day. To continue business as usual is simply not acceptable. To advertise during these uncertain times is in extremely bad taste.”
An attorney with a Huntington law firm that has been running television advertisement disagreed, saying his firm is just trying to keep its clients informed.
An advertisement for Woelfel and Woelfel features Mike and Matthew Woelfel letting everyone know their firm is open and working every day. They tell the viewer that if they have any legal questions, they can contact the firm.
We did a new ad in which we are letting our cleints know we’re working every day,” Mike Woelfel told The Record. “We want people who may have questions about an accident or any other legal issue that we’re here and we’ve adapted to the current circumstances by offering the opportunity for them to have our cell phones numbers if they call us.
“We wanted to let people know they can execute authorizations electronically now. They don’t have to physically come into an office for us to look at their case.”
Woelfel said the firm decided to run a new ad that focus specifically on these changes they’ve made to help service the public.
“We aren’t running any ads having to do directly with the novel Coronavirus,” Woelfel said. “We’re contractually obligated with WSAZ to advertise, and we live up to our word.
“We want to be flexible and help people who want and need to use our services. We try to put a public service component into the ad. We’re basically saying we’re here. And, if they just want to chat about a legal issue, we’re available whether we’re in the office or not. And we’ll try to help them.”