Personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan faces lawsuit over advertising campaigns
The national personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan is being sued by Arkansas attorney Jody Shackelford, who alleges that the firm is violating state and federal regulations with its “misleading” ad campaigns, which are approved by its Florida-based founder John Morgan.
Shackelford filed a complaint against Morgan & Morgan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on July 17. According to the complaint, Morgan & Morgan’s “extensive advertising campaigns” have violated both state laws and rules from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) governing legal advertising. Shackelford said Morgan & Morgan has aired “deceptive” ads that mislead consumers and give Morgan & Morgan an unfair advantage over its competitors. He added that John Morgan, the founder and principal attorney of Morgan & Morgan, “is responsible for approving and authorizing the advertising campaigns.”
In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent letters to seven legal practitioners expressing concerns about some television advertisements attempting to solicit clients for class action lawsuits. According to a press release, these ads included deceptive or misleading information about pharmaceuticals. The FTC said some of these lawsuit ads may misrepresent risks linked to medications and leave viewers with the false impression that their medication has been recalled. In some cases, lawsuit advertisements begin with “sensational warnings or alerts” that may deceive viewers into believing the ad is a government-sanctioned medical alert.