A recent report by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) discloses a substantial increase in local legal services advertising in Georgia. The data reveals that in 2023, residents of the state were exposed to over 2.2 million such advertisements, with a cumulative ad expenditure reaching $168.6 million.
An ATRA press release indicates that since 2019, total spending on all legal services ads in Georgia has risen by 38%. However, certain mediums witnessed more significant increases. For instance, outdoor and out-of-home legal ad spend escalated by 113% since 2019, while radio legal services ad spend surged by 94%. The study also found that in 2023, personal injury attorneys accounted for 75% of ads. These attorneys expended nearly $87 million, which represents over half of all legal ad spend in Georgia. Among the highest spenders were Morgan & Morgan ($24.4 million), John Foy & Associates ($11.5 million), Farah & Farah ($10.1 million), and Montlick & Associates ($9.6 million).
In the press release, ATRA President Tiger Joyce commented on the situation: "This tidal wave of legal services ads blanketing Georgia is further evidence of the state’s struggling legal climate and need for tort reform." He added that "this advertising arms race is both a symptom and a cause of the state’s troubled civil justice system, fueling more litigation and lining the pockets of trial lawyers."
The press release further states that Georgia residents pay an annual "tort tax" of $1,372 while around 137,000 jobs are lost annually due to excessive tort costs. In Atlanta specifically, ATRA reports a per person "tort tax" amounting to $2,084.
According to the same press release, Atlanta has been particularly impacted by this surge in advertising. In the previous year alone, legal service providers spent over $89.5 million on nearly 748,000 local legal services ads targeting the city's residents. The breakdown of this expenditure includes $33.3 million on outdoor ads, close to $32 million on more than 245,000 spot TV ads, and $20.6 million on approximately 409,000 radio ads.
Joyce further noted in the press release: "These eye-popping numbers show just how litigious and lawsuit-happy Georgia’s civil justice landscape has become."