Personal Injury Law Firm Sues Competitor Over Billboard

Personal Injury Law Firm Sues Competitor Over Billboard

Lawsuits, Legal News, Personal Injury

Personal Injury Law Firm Sues Competing Law Firm

A personal injury law firm in Massachusetts, Ellis Law Offices, is suing another personal injury law firm. They claim that The Law office of Joseph J. Cariglia copied their billboard in an attempt to siphon potential clients.

In an eight page complaint, Robert Riordan Jr. of Ellis wrote, “Upon information and belief, Defendant Law Offices of Joseph J. Cariglia, P.C. intentionally copied Plaintiff Ellis’ advertising billboard with the intent of confusing potential clients and tricking potential clients who had seen Ellis’ billboard into calling Cariglia instead.”

Riordan said that their billboard was blue and yellow, with an extension that featured several of the firm’s lawyers. The text read, “Injured? Results you deserve.” The billboard was placed on Interstate 290 East and went up late August.

Two months later, their competitor put up a billboard on Interstate 290 West, that was also blue and yellow. It also featured an extension of several of their own lawyers, and read, “Injured? Don’t stand alone.”

The lawsuit calls the billboard “blatant copying” and claims, “likely to cause confusion among consumers as to the source of the legal services advertised.”

Riordan is requesting a judge to order the removal of the billboard and $500,000 in damages.

The lawsuit includes six accounts accounts Cariglia Law and its marketing company, Murray Marketing Inc. of Shrewsbury. The counts include intentional interference with contractual relations, and trade dress infringement.

Murray Marketing denied claims of any wrongful conduct in its billboard posting. Their statement read,”Billboards of this type, advertising legal services, are seen in many markets across the country; the contents of these kinds of billboards are generally descriptive and do not contain unique or original types of information.”

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