Atlanta-based personal injury law firm John Foy & Associates spent $11,545,303 on legal advertisements in Georgia last year, according to an April 11 report by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA).
John Foy & Associates’ ad spending resulted in approximately 139,930 ads aired across the state in 2023, the report states. The firm ranked second in Georgia in terms of ad spending, behind only the national personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan, which spent $24.4 million on ads last year. Approximately 76% of all legal services ads aired in Georgia last year focused on personal injury.
According to the report, some "doomsday" ads about medical injuries or medications can negatively impact viewers. Consumers may see an ad about a medication they have been prescribed and stop taking it without consulting their healthcare provider, resulting in adverse health outcomes and even death. These ads can rely on "dubious" scientific claims, which can mislead or confuse consumers.
"This tidal wave of legal services ads blanketing Georgia is further evidence of the state’s struggling legal climate and need for tort reform," ATRA President Sherman "Tiger" Joyce said in a statement, according to a press release. "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." Joyce added that excessive litigation drives up costs for Georgia businesses and consumers, resulting in every Georgia resident paying a "tort tax" of $1,372 each year. He also mentioned that Georgia state lawmakers "took steps in the right direction" to address excessive tort litigation during this year’s legislative session but emphasized that "much more needs to be done."
In April, the Georgia legislature passed HB 1114, the Data Analysis for Tort Reform Act, according to LegiScan. The bill allows for data collection and analysis regarding "frivolous and excessive tort litigation" and how that litigation impacts the state’s businesses and consumers, particularly by raising insurance costs. The bill was sponsored by State Representatives including Will Wade and Matthew Gambill.
John M. Foy founded John Foy & Associates in 1999, according to the firm’s website. He grew up in the Midwest and relocated to Georgia after law school. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.