TAMPA — Florida lawyer Curtis A. Wolfe isn't crazy about the "ambulance-chaser" image often pinned to his profession. He thinks consumers are especially tired of all the "if-you-slip-and-fall-give-us-a-call" messages saturating airwaves.
So Wolfe took action. He left the private Fort Lauderdale equity group at which he was general counsel and created his own Web site: WhoCanISue.com.
Yes, you read that right. But despite its name, Wolfe insists his site will curb frivolous lawsuits and improve lawyers' reputations by eliminating middleman referral services.
The site eliminates go-betweens by matching potential claim-filers directly with nearby attorneys. There's a page about product liability, which gives information about lawsuits against Icy Hot, Teflon and products containing asbestos. There's a page for accidents, including wrongful death and slip and fall, and a page about employment wrongdoing, like nonpaid overtime.
Wolfe said there soon will be a page dedicated to divorce law, which is where it all started.
A year or so ago, Wolfe said, a friend of his wife asked him to refer her to a good divorce lawyer. Even with all his resources, Wolfe said, it took about 15 phone calls to track down the right attorney.
"There's got to be a better way," Wolfe recalled thinking.
Now, he says, his Web site does the legwork. Individuals search the site about a particular grievance, which generates a list of appropriate lawyers along with their educational backgrounds.
Unlike an ask so-and-so referral service, consumers track down their own lawyers instead of being matched by a middleman, Wolfe said.
The site launched in September, and Wolfe said an average of about 50 people use the site each day. For now, it's free to both consumers and lawyers. Beginning next year, lawyers will have to pay $500 to be listed.
To Wolfe, who's still licensed to practice law in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida, it's about giving people more resources.
"There are certainly those who are fearful that because of the name it will give lawyers an even worse image," Wolfe said. "I think, in the end, it will improve people's perceptions."
Frank Fernandez, of the Tampa-based Fernandez firm, isn't so sure. Fernandez recently saw a WhoCanISue.com billboard and found it shocking.
"I'm not sure how to politely say it, but it just looks really bad for the legal profession in general," he said. "A lot of folks trying to make a living on what we do, it's sort of insulting to them."
He said the Fernandez firm, in business for six years, does "quite a bit" of advertising, but Fernandez said professionalism is paramount. He said there's a misperception that lawyers are after any lawsuit they can get.
"We try to make our ads tasteful so people come to us knowing they can respect what we tell them," Fernandez said.
Joy Bruner, assistant ethics counsel for the Florida Bar, said specific standards govern legal advertisements to make sure they aren't misleading. It appears Wolfe's site is not in violation.
"I don't know if 'Who can I sue?' is a problem, where 'How can I get a million bucks?' might be different," Bruner said.
The Bar has received no complaints against Wolfe.
Attorney Howard Ehrlich, who has a law firm in Boca Raton, signed on with WhoCanISue.com as soon as he saw the billboard.
"I was intrigued by the name and what it was," Ehrlich said. "I think it's a step above what's out there already."
Ehrlich said he thinks the site will decrease unnecessary lawsuits. He said people often call his office wondering whether they've got a worthwhile claim and what to do next — questions the site is poised to answer. Those who don't have legitimate claims can find out immediately.
Ehrlich has advertised in the past, but he thinks WhoCanISue.com "hits the mark." And Wolfe said a name's just a name.
"In the end, we hope people will use (the site's name) to remember us, but if they're going to judge us, judge us on what we do," Wolfe said.
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