A brazen and tasteless ad for the law firm Villareal & Begum has appeared in Maxim magazine which features a large, ominous picture of a truck with the words “Serial Killer” emblazoned above it. The outcry from the trucking community and the businesses that serve it has been swift and vocal.
The full text is as follows:
“3,561 people died on America’s highways last year. Another 2.36 million were injured. You need a law firm you can Trust. You need Experience. You need Strength. You need Villareal & Begum. We’re proven leaders in prosecuting cases involving death and catastrophic injury. We Fight. You Win.”
In response to the ad that OOIDA spokesperson Norita Taylor called “one of the most offensive injury attorney advertisements we’ve ever seen,” several truck stop chains including TravelCenters of America, Petros, and Pilot Flying J have pulled the issue of Maxim from their shelves.
The ATA is requesting that they be given a complementary ad spot in Maxim’s next issue in which they will run “a truthful advertisement about the industry that safely serves America 24/7.”
When thetrucker.com reached out for comment, the law firm replied with this emailed statement:
“Please be assured that it was never the intent of the Villarreal & Begum Law Firm to disparage the hard working Americans that drive tractor-trailers for a living. Our intent was to reach out to those individuals who have been involved in catastrophic accidents as a result of irresponsible drivers. The ad was in-artfully created and we could see how it may have caused our message to be misconstrued. We recognize the service that truck drivers provide to this nation and acknowledge that most truck drivers are safe and responsible drivers. There are, however, few drivers that do not always live up to the standards promulgated by state and federal agencies and end up hurting innocent people who, in turn, deserve adequate representation. It is the victims of catastrophic trucking accidents that we intended to reach and not our intent to offend law abiding citizens that drive tractor-trailers for a living. We apologize that the wording of our ad has offended you and your family. In response to your and others’ objections, we have instructed our marketing department not to use that ad in the future.”
Next Story: 100 Driverless Cars On The Road Next Year
Source: thetrucker
They posted that same statement on their website as well.
I am sorry but I totally disagree with their response to this ad.For one thing , are they and others so money hungry that they have to advertize in the manner. I know what we all should do, the time we are brought to a stop rather quickly. We should get out,look the situation over ,then fall on the ground and fake a good injury and then get these jerks to represent us. Never mind that ,this actually happened. Two weeks ago one of the drivers that works with me doing a different run was involved in an accident.He was parked on the side of the road in a wide open area ,all but his headlights were on , four ways flashing etc. Well a two cars came racing down the highway, one of them hit the rear end of the trailer around the D.O.T.bar and the hood was jammed in there. The passenger was killed the driver of the car was 3 X over the limit and now they want to charge my driver with the accident.Figure that one out. I am getting upset so I’ll stop writing.
That’s what I say too. Why not put a speeding car or 2 on the ad. They are usually the cause of a big truck getting into an accident anyways!
I really hate to hear about stuff like this. You just got to be really, really careful anytime you pull over for anything. It seems like I keep seeing more and more of it, though. And not always some obvious problem like a blown tire or mechanical issue. I read about a case a while back where the driver had pulled well off the roadway, somewhere out in California, I think. Driver of 4-wheeler still managed to hit him. Car driver and wife in front seats were killed, daughter in back survived. Daughter’s lawyer took it to court and, guess what, judgement was against the truck driver and his company. Of course jury handed over a huge judgement against the driver and his company. Of course that’s California, too Company I run for is not going out there that much these days, but these things can probably happen anywhere. My rule is just don’t stop anywhere but a bonafide rest area or truck stop or parking lot or area unless I absolutely have to.
Sounds easier said than done. I myself am a driver and with this ’30-minute break’ rule I sometimes have no choice but to pull off (way off) the road or on a ramp shoulder and park it because truck stops, rest areas are all full of drivers taking their “30”. I don’t believe the people that make these laws really understand what it is like out here. They want us to follow their laws, so provide us with parking. Don’t close down the weigh stations if they are going to be closed, let us use them to park. Make bigger rest areas, more parking lots for trucks. The fatigue starts with trying to locate a safe location to bunk down for the night. If they can provide me with a crystal ball leading me to such places I would be ever so thankful. But back to the accidents: I think that driving schools should start teaching our new drivers about safety around big trucks and about being a courteous driver around the big truck. I’m tired of reading how big trucks are responsible for majority of these accidents when I myself have seen whose fault it really was. Just because we are the bigger kid on the playground doesn’t mean we are the bullies.
Why get upset Mike, if your driver had an emergency situation to stop on the shoulder and the truck was off the right lane, inside the solid lane line, so be it.
Were not out there to control the actions of others, we can only protect ourselves, follow the rules & regulations to the best of our abilities, and SAFELY operate the equipment we handle.
If your completely off the traveled lanes of the highway, and have 4 way flashers and lights on, you have complied with stopping on the interstate.
You might want to review the D.O.T. regulations on this yourself and see if that gives you a better understanding for what you’ve been told, with your situation on this one.
Then maybe you could hire this law firm to represent you, then run other ad ,
“Drunk Drivers are Serial Killers….!
Sickening as the Ad’ is I’ve no doubt in my mind the Company knew exactly what they were doing when they went to print…I mean they are Lawyers and amid all the controversy the Ad’ caused at the end of the Day the Public Population far outweighs the Trucking Population thus giving their Business the upper Hand…in this Instance they got the Publicity they wanted…
I think OOIDA, ATA, NASTC, and TA should join their legal teams together to file a defamation lawsuit against this firm. I doubt this law firm would be in business nice longer.
Defamation against whom? The ad may be ridiculous but you can sue based on defaming an entire industry, there has to be specific parties involved.
Class action lawsuit…
It’s no wonder why people hate lawyers….seriously…and their ‘apology’…..”It is the victims of catastrophic trucking accidents that we intended to reach and not our intent to offend law abiding citizens that drive tractor-trailers for a living.”
Perhaps this law firm should check its facts first, before publishing an inflammatory piece of bile, such as that ad. The vast, vast majority of tractor-trailer/4 wheeler accidents are the fault of the 4 wheeler! That little tidbit never seems to get mentioned in the news however.
E.g. family of four killed in collision with semi truck. They won’t tell you that good old dad was attempting an ill-timed pass, crossed the yellow line, and slammed nose first into an oncoming truck. It’s postured to make it sound like the truck driver is always at fault. I guess the public loves drama, and someone to blame when their reckless driving habits catch up with them. The trucking industry always makes a great target…
You right Richard….it’s real easy to screw over truck drvers…it’s starts with the Police,and what THEY put on the accident report. Then the poor truck drivr has to pay big money to the lawyers just to clear his name,and save his reputation,and CDL The driver of the car…his neglience in causing the accident will be covered up,so everyone can sue the trucking company for a big profit. When paople see a big rig,they see big dollar signs.
So, we are to believe that these attorneys, who are supposedly smart enough to pass their state bar exam and be licensed, are at the same time so ignorant that they didn’t realize all of the messaging g aspects of the ad? Give me a break. The law firm is trying to drum up business for sure, and that’s ok. But why didn’t they use a picture of a car, who’s driver is a) on the phone, b) putting on his/her makeup [these days you never know], or any one of a dozen other things that 4-wheeler drivers do to distract themselves?
Seems to me that given the content of the ad, and their lame response, this is a law firm consisting of people unable to exercise any ability of critical thinking.
Which, IMHO, is exactly the wrong law firm to represent you for anything more than a paper cut.
They don’t portray car drivers doing all those things because they do the very same things on the way to their overly expensive office every single day.
A criminal is innocent untill proven guilty , a truck/truckdriver is always guilty until proven innocent !
Amen to that Herman
I’m thinking lawsuit against Villareal & Begum for libel. Their ad could have a tremendous impact on how the motoring public sees truckers, and give them cause to start really fearing us.
We’re work-a-day men and women out here just trying to make a living. When you have the D.O.T. already trying to vilify us, by crushing us under ever increasing draconian regulation (which I guarantee you the public sees), the last thing we need is a bunch of law firms coming out to try to capitalize on it. It will only serve to confirm in the motoring public minds’ what the D.O.T. has been working so hard to “teach” them about us.
I am especially concerned by the parlance used in the add: “Serial Killer”. Will every member of the motoring public who saw the ad, now view every trucker as a “Hannibal Lecter” – someone to be feared, terrified of in fact, and reviled?
If not a lawsuit, then certainly far more than an emailed apology. I’m thinking… no DEMAND, that this law firm be made to spend some serious money to publicly retract their statement, in the news papers, in that magazine, on the radio and on TV.
I am tired of being vilified by clueless people. I’m out here doing my best to be the most responsible driver I can be, as I am sure, are the greater majority of all truckers. It has to stop somewhere. And those who practice it, need to be informed – by harsh measures under the law and by the media if necessary – that it is simply not acceptable!
Well said James ! You brought up some good points. Truck drivers HAVE to fight back on being “slandered,and liabeled” in the public media. I asked a lawyer what it is the difference in the two. His reply…”Slander” is when someone says something that causes you to lose your job,or reputation in front of others.” ( Your boss,the public,etc.)”. and “Liabel” is when it is put in writing”.(a good example he gave was a traffic ticket that goes on your record,and your insurance is raised,and you lose your livihood to drive a truck .) Remember the Police will claim “It’s YOUR FAULT I had to give you the ticket.” Yea right !
I would also like to point out that the magazine has some liable in this as well, they after all did approve the ad to be placed in their magazine. I am sure magazines are the same as newspapers and have editors and so forth that must approve such trash as this ad was. So in my opinion both Maxim and the ambulance chasing law firm should be held accountable for inflaming the public to have such a negative image of the trucking industry.
My husband has been the target of one of these ambulance chasers after a young girl set him up to hit her at a red light. He rolled into her after she sat at the green light and wouldn’t go while multiple lanes were moving on each side, it ended up paint exchange by the time he realized she wasn’t moving. After many sleepless nights of worrying about being sued we find out the idiots sued the wrong trucking company/person. The woman made it a habit of baiting big trucks to hit her and already had a prior wreck with another big rig, I just hope this young lady realizes what she is doing before she miscalculates and ends up dead. People that do that and the lawyers that defend them are scum, they turn hard working unsuspecting truckers lives upside down for their gain. It is bad enough that the public sees this type of crap and some try to use it to make money, the industry as a whole does NOT need more negative media coming from asinine ads like the one in Maxim.
“by the time he realized she wasn’t moving”? How long does it take to “realize” the vehicle in front of you, starting from a red light, isn’t moving? What was he doing that kept him from “realizing” he was going to hit something?
I was wondering that too. When I see a red light ahead, I begin adjusting my speed regardless how far ahead it is. I do this because, well, as I’d hope most of us know: it saves fuel. If I don’t ever have to stop at a red light, I’m getting better fuel economy than if I ran full speed to the light, stopped, idled, then rebuilt speed.
Along with this, I’m looking plenty far enough ahead that if a car didn’t move from a green light, I would notice and have time to adjust.
And let’s not forget to mention, that regardless of prior incidents (which would’ve certainly been unknown at the time of this one), what if it was someone who’s car stalled at at the light?
“Well, officer, the light turned green but she didn’t go so I hit her. Wasn’t my fault. Green means go.”
That has to be worse apology that I have ever heard…these or the type of people that we share the highways with everyday arrogant miss informed and totally with out the first bit of knowledge of the trucking industry. They fit right into the mix with the rest of the inconsiderate distracted four wheelers on the road I would even lay odds that each and everyone of them in there office has either caused or almost caused and accident while doing anything and everything in there automobile other than what should been doing in the first almost anyone can get drivers license but that doesn’t mean almost everyone can drive. But I agree with the other drivers post there probably on the verge of closing there law firm and thought there ridiculous add one drum up some clients. I for one never thought of the type lawyers they are as being a real lawyer but more of as just ambulance chasers whom barely made it out of law school and couldn’t get on with a reputable firm.but hey its been like this for the last 27yrs of accident free driving career every lawyer every four wheeler every state and local law enforcement agencie wants to pass the blame on the real driver’s on the highway and make all the money they can off the driver who’s only trying to do his job in order to feed and support his family at home.
I was laughing at the “Song & Dance” the law firm of Villareal & Begum was doing in their statement. They lie about truck drivers,then try to cover up their getting people to sue truck drivers,so they can get large “Billable hours” for a big payday. I had a guy run into the back right side of my truck,after he ran the light on red in West Independance Ohio in 2005,and the guy was driving an Ohio state owned car , he killed his passenger, he sued me,because he couldn’t have sex with his wife. The law firms have an agenda to sue,and make money…that’s their goal.
These “gentlemen” (ambulance chasers) are the reasons we pay such high premiums on our insurance. They are the reason people try to stop their cars in front of big trucks and get “bumped”. They are the reason we have a bad name on the highways!!
There are ads in Maxim? Who the heck looks at the ads in Maxim? The same people who claim to get Playboy for the articles:-)
Along with the terrible apology to drivers, they should probably apologize to kenworth for slapping their truck on this ad. If anyone takes the ad seriously, that truck is what they will remember.
I think that about 10,000 truck drivers & trucking companies should file individual lawsuits on this law firm. That ought to put a dent in their operating budget. Serial Killers? Really?
Someone should remind that frim that 81% of car and tractor-trailor accidents are the Class C vehicles fault. True Story.
firm*
Ads like this from these bottom dwelling ass hats are the reason 4 wheelers no long look when merging, cut us off, tailgate, pass on the right when we merge for broke down trucks, pass on the shoulder….they no longer fear being involved in an accident with us cause they see $$$$ rolling down the highway!!!
Randy , Your right on. Included is that today’s drivers are less knowledgeable about driving, Forgot anything they learned as a teen about safety behind the wheel and really don’t care. I call it the welfare mentality. Good dash cams for proof of who was at fault could eventually turn this around.
This company has billboards all over the San Antonio area. Hurt by a truck call us (***) ***-HURT. They knew exactly what they were doing. Both TX and the national bar assoc. are looking into the use of this add. Hope they make an example of this firm but, I doubt they will.
You must be talking about Jim Adler, he has ads all over Texas. Also, his TV ad is hilarious. He is standing atop a trailer and hollering about hammering the trucker like an old preacher would preach about fire and brimstone. Really? I don’t understand why we drivers are being targeted so ridiculously. But I have noticed D.O.T.’s signs about giving us space, love those. Is D.O.T. the only ones on our side now?
The ad was tasteless. A direct shot at the trucking industry. I don’t buy their excuse letter. I think they never expected the backlash they unleashed. This is a desperate attempt to salvage their business.
“All publicity is good publicity.” At the very least, it’s free advertising.
I also drive truck for a living. I find the add misleading. With that said. I say I fear the rogue truck driver’s more then getting sued. It amazes me that jack wagons ride the bumpers of small passenger cars. It’s a out of control situation. We do get a lot of disrespect from four wheelers but the way of bad driving is mutual. Unfortunately I see it more with the senior truck driver’s who complain about everyone and everything. Seems they live in a Smokey and the Bandit era. Maybe if these people followed same driving habits expected by others the roads would be a little safer and people wouldn’t be on a witch hunt. I was always taught lead by example. And regardless who’s at fault there are still people dead.
Lets see now. They use a picture of a truck that appears to be tailgating, Advertized like they do and have the gall to state they did not mean to disparage truckers? Yeah right. When pigs fly.
They are going to go get the car driver that causes the accident so they can represent them and sue the trucker and trucking company? I wonder if they have EVER gone to bat for the trucker or his carrier that was involved in an accident caused by the car driver. Might be worth the read if they ever answer. Car owners are not required to have high dollars insurance coverage as
CMV’s and some of these ambulance chasers are demanding higher insurance for trucking. Lawyers like this are only motivated by greed , not getting justice or setting things right.
I’m glad they removed the add and issued an apology. Some of these law firms cross boundaries at times.
I know there are some bad truckers out there. But most of us are serious and know the dangers of our vehicle. I’ve had to “save” the life of another bad/ignorant/inattentive drivers with out them even knowing. Simply by slowing down or yielding to their bazaar and reckless maneuvers. Sigh. I love trucking, and this add just PISSES ME OFF!!!!!
Much ado about nothing. Those who have never been tailgated by a speeding truck driver aren’t going to be swayed by such an add, those who have couldn’t think less of drivers.
So now I’m a serial killer. Wow. I drive these roads day in and day out. I sway truck/trailer to the left to avoid the 4 wheeler coming into my lane cause they are texting/talking on the phone/changing a cd/putting on makeup/reprimanding the kids in the backseat/etc. and not paying attention. Oh yeah, that would have been my fault big time if I swayed into another car. But if I would have maintained my lane and allowed her to hit me, again my fault for not avoiding the accident. Can’t win for losing. It will always be our fault until every truck is equipped with cameras to play back the accident. Then again, it may not be admissible in a court of law, invasion of the 4-wheelers privacy.