Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Survey: Lawyer Ads Encourage Uninjured People to Sue; CALA Road Show to Warn Consumers Their Healthcare is Under Attack.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- According to a new survey by Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), 64 percent of Californians believe personal injury lawyer advertising encourages people to sue even if they have not been injured, prompting the group to launch a statewide road show warning consumers of the impacts on patients when the legal system is abused.

As part of the campaign, the group will ask consumers to sign petitions calling on the Federal Trade Commission and the State Bar of California to enact stricter guidelines on personal injury lawyer ads.

"Irresponsible lawyers are trying to cash in by enticing people to play their lawsuit lottery," says CALA Chairman John Merchant. "We've all seen ads saying that if we've ever taken a certain drug, or have had a medical problem we might be able to get some money for it."

Merchant says irresponsible ads also can needlessly scare patients off their medications. According to a 2003 survey by Harris Interactive, 40 percent of pharmacists reported patients had stopped taking medications when they learned the drug might be involved in litigation.

"Scaring people with sensational ads can have real, negative health impacts," Merchant says. "Our goal is to warn patients not to believe everything they see in a person injury layer ad, tell them to talk to a doctor, not a lawyer if they have concerns about their health, and above all, don't join a lawsuit if you haven't been injured."

Just as concerning are the consequences when people who aren't injured join lawsuits. The most recent example comes from Mississippi, where 12 people have been arrested for forging prescriptions of Fen-Phen so they could claim a share of a lawsuit settlement.

"That takes money away from people who really have been injured," Merchant says. "It's just another example of how people are trying to abuse the legal system for their own gain."

Through its petition drive, CALA is calling on the FTC and the State Bar to require disclaimers on ads from personal injury lawyers that would ensure consumers understand many alleged injuries are speculative an unproven by science. Ads should also encourage consumers to consult their own doctors before stopping medication, and warn them of the dangers of joining a lawsuit if they have not been injured.

"Too often, irresponsible ads mislead and needlessly scare patients, so current rules on lawyer ads just aren't doing the job," Merchant says.

CALA's survey, conducted among 600 California voters by Charlton Research, also found that Californians are worried frivolous healthcare lawsuits are going to make it harder for them and their families to get affordable care, and 76 percent believe personal injury lawyers who file healthcare lawsuits are more interested in making money than helping patients.

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is a nonprofit, grassroots public education organization. For more information or to view the CALA petition, visit www.cala.com or www.sickoflawsuits.org.