Press in June
June has seen the media call attention to InjuryLawyerDatabase.com in a major way. We received a call early in the month from Kristi Tousignant at the Daily Record. Maryland’s only daily business and legal paper was very intrigued with what we were doing, and wanted to share with their listed reach of over 1 million people. (“Reach” figures were obtained from the Daily Record.)
I did about a forty-minute interview with Ms. Tousignant regarding what the site’s mission was, why it was needed, and why it was a first of its kind. We discussed how the website benefits both potential clients and lawyers. Potential clients get better information; lawyers now have a place to demonstrate both real statistics, and their own messaging.
I was not surprised the Daily Record thought my site was newsworthy. In fact, had I constructed a website, catering to both potential clients and Maryland lawyers, that the Daily Record did not find interesting, I’d be in trouble. The Daily Record shares half of my target market.
I asked Ms. Tousignant if she would be getting react quotes from lawyers featured on the site. She said yes. This made me very excited. I’ve continually sought real feedback. I couldn’t think of a better way to do some authentic market research.
I also knew some lawyers would have a problem with it. The statistics do not tell how many clients a lawyer has represented. They show how many lawsuits the lawyer has been a part of, as plaintiff counsel, in Maryland Circuit Courts. It shows this caveat on each lawyer’s stats page, and has since we launched. Other lawyers have an issue because they don’t like their stats, don’t have enough experience, or have changed their area of focus.
For instance, one lawyer sent me some scathing feedback. I simply asked if he felt the stats feed was in error, or if he did not like what public records revealed about his practice. He did not respond.
Andy Slutkin, an injury lawyer on the site, gave his opinion to the Daily Record. He stated that one-third of his work is settled in pre-suit negotiations, and, therefore, InjuryLawyerDatabase.com doesn’t accurately reflect the degree to which his practice is “successful.” I have been asked by a few people if I was upset about the “harsh” comments against the site. I don’t see it that way. Slutkin went on to tell the Daily Record that sometimes cases he settles pre-suit result in seven figure settlements. This is exactly what I would have said in his position.
Slutkin did say, “I think it’s relevant information to choosing a lawyer.” He also stated, “I think this will make them money because lawyers are going to want to advertise on sites that can generate traffic.”
Another medical malpractice lawyer, Jay Miller said, “They [attorneys featured on the site] are the best malpractice lawyers so I can’t criticize it. These also happen to be top lawyers. I guess that’s a good thing. If a consumer would use that site, they couldn’t go wrong.”
The story about InjuryLawyerDatabase.com was picked up by the Associated Press. It also ran in the Washington Post and Insurance Journal, an online publication for the insurance industry. We will continue to work hard to put out a product worthy of attention.