Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III warned Thursday he will use “the full authority of this office” on any predatory law firms seeking to profit from the Woodmore Elementary School bus tragedy.
“It is sad that some attorneys attempt to exploit the grief of others and put profit above sincere assistance,” Slatery said in a public statement. “This deceptive behavior is not representative of our state’s legal community and no credible attorney would act this way. Our office will pursue anyone attempting to take advantage of the families in Chattanooga.”
Though his office could not confirm whether there’s an investigation into any particular firm, Slatery’s comments come on the heels of a Times Free Press report that found Woodmore victims were being heavily solicited in the days after the deadly Nov. 21 crash.
Slatery’s release said predatory firms often use misleading information, offer incentives such as paying funeral costs in exchange for using their firm, promise millions in civil lawsuit awards, and contact victims within 30 days of a tragedy or accident.
“In some cases, salesmen hired by the law firm will portray themselves as licensed attorneys when they are not,” he wrote. “We will use the full authority of this office to shut down this type of activity.”