{"id":1269,"date":"2008-10-23T07:00:37","date_gmt":"2008-10-23T11:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=1269"},"modified":"2008-10-22T12:48:32","modified_gmt":"2008-10-22T16:48:32","slug":"ambulance-chasing-in-the-era-of-google-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2008\/10\/23\/ambulance-chasing-in-the-era-of-google-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"Ambulance Chasing in the era of Google Maps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wikipedia defines an Ambulance Chaser<\/a> thusly:<\/p>\n

Ambulance chaser<\/strong>\u00a0is a\u00a0derogatory<\/a>\u00a0phrase sometimes used to describe a\u00a0trial lawyer\u00a0who specializes in representing accident victims. It typically refers to attorneys who solicit business (sometimes called\u00a0barratry<\/a>) from accident victims or their families at the scene of an accident or disaster (or immediately thereafter). In the\u00a0United States, such conduct violates Rule 7.3[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0of the\u00a0American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A poster (the ever voluble<\/a> panzermike) in Google’s Report Mapspam thread<\/a> in Google Groups reports<\/a> lawyers changing their business names to take advantage of the recent Chatsworth Metrolink accident where 25 died.<\/p>\n

Here is a guy who has a fake business name and more than one address\u00a0(PO Box none the less) to dominate one box for recent Chatsworth\u00a0metrolink accident. Violates at least two maps rules.<\/p>\n

I have noticed that almost every law firm in LA that ranks in Maps is\u00a0now using fake business names and Maps is doing nothing to enforce\u00a0their own NEW rules.<\/p>\n

Local business results for Metrolink accident lawyers near Los\u00a0Angeles, CA<\/a><\/p>\n

Cliff Blackman Train Accident Lawyer
\n– www.blackmanlegal.com
\n2029 Century Park East, 14th Floor, Los Angeles – (866) 692-8127
\nDirections, hours, and more \u00bb<\/p>\n

Cliff Blackman Train Accident Lawyer
\n– www.blackmanlegal.com
\nP.O. Box 345, Glendale – (800) 975-2993
\nDirections, hours, and more \u00bb
\nMore results near Los Angeles, CA \u00bb<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It would appear that Google Maps has placed itself squarely in the midst of this shady world of hawking marginal services to the unsuspecting. Like the HIV Mapspam<\/a>, this type of bottom feeding facilitated by Google Maps, needs much tighter controls. Welcome to the snake oil salesman of the new millenium marketing their wares in the ether.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wikipedia defines an Ambulance Chaser thusly: Ambulance chaser\u00a0is a\u00a0derogatory\u00a0phrase sometimes used to describe a\u00a0trial lawyer\u00a0who specializes in representing accident victims. It typically refers to attorneys who solicit business (sometimes called\u00a0barratry) from accident victims or their families at the scene of an accident or disaster (or immediately thereafter). In the\u00a0United States, such conduct violates Rule 7.3[1]\u00a0of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t