Lawyers Racing to the Courthouse with GM Suits

At least two lawsuits have already been filed against General Motors relating to the company’s recent recall of 1.6 million vehicles, and plaintiffs’ lawyers are going online to find more potential clients.

Reuters reports that attorneys are creating websites, buying search terms, and using social media to bolster their lawsuits, citing an ILR study to demonstrate the plaintiffs’ bar’s sophistication in online marketing:

A 2012 study conducted by the Institute for Legal Reform estimated that plaintiffs’ firms spent more than $53 million that year on Google keywords to reach consumers searching terms like “mesothelioma,” a type of cancer linked to asbestos.

“It’s not really a surprise that the plaintiffs’ bar sophistication in marketing is what it is,” said Bryan Quigley, a vice president at the institute.