using tragedy for personal gain
tommyYou knew it would happen. But you probably didn’t think it would be so soon. This came out Friday:
Attorney Speaks For 8 Relatives Injured In I-4 Crashes
[Orlando lawyer William] McBride describes his practice as catering to the Hispanic community. He referred to himself in a news release as “Abogado William,” and he made it clear that he is exploring legal action on behalf of his clients.
He translated for the men he brought to the news conference, describing how they blamed smoke from a nearby controlled burn that went awry for the lack of visibility that led to the crash. McBride called for witnesses to the crash to come forward to help his investigation.
He also said he wants to ensure other people involved in the crash know they have legal rights.
McBride said the Gomez men live in Lakeland but would not say where. They are Honduran immigrants working in the United States, McBride said. Asked repeatedly about the immigration status of the men, McBride refused to answer, saying only that he is a personal injury lawyer, not an immigration lawyer.
To point fingers and just start looking for a lawsuit so soon after such a horrible tragedy is well, typical of lawyers, I guess. Of course, the St. Pete Times wants a scapegoat too.
And Yes. You’ve heard of William McBride before; the Tampa born attorney unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2006. But he has since apparently changed the focus of his practice, along with his apodo:
McBride, a Tampa native who is the son of a one-time migrant worker, said he deals largely with families petitioning to get other family members to the United State legally. He also works with clients who have lost their work permits and are trying to regain that legal status.
He said he helps people who have “questions about their legal status” but never uses the word “illegal” when describing his clients.
“The reason they are coming to me is because they want to make it legal,” McBride said.
McBride downplays his immigration work, saying it is a small piece of his business, although he brags that he is well-known in the Orlando Latino community as “apoderado William,” which means “attorney William.”
Whether McBride does or does not have experience with immigration issues, and regardless of his preference of being called a lawyer, an attorney, or an advocate, to me he is nothing more than an ambulance chaser. Latinos might call him abagodo de pacotilla William.
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January 16th, 2008 at 2:48 am
It is easy to blame the lawyers for hopping on this but it seems that there is a lot of blame here. The div of forestry lost control of their fire and then the understaffed state troopers were not able to get the interstate shut down in time. Civil action is the way the public holds companies and their government accountable for negligence.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:30 am
But plowing into smoke and fog at an unsafe speed had nothing to do with it? Where’s the personal responsibility of failing to operate a motor vehicle with due regard and proper prudence? The problem with punitive settlements is that they all too often reward the undeserving, the attorneys and those who should have exercised just a bit of common sense.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am
The interesting thing about this accident is that it disclosed that there were TWO state troopers to cover an area bigger than some states. This is one of the consequences of a state government fixated on reducing taxes without regard to the risks involved, particularly as it relates to public safety. It’s no surprise that traffic piled up the way it did. With no law enforcement to speak of, our highways, particularly I-4, are in a state of anarchy. Really want to risk your life?
Try driving the speed limit, any lane, any day. Get used to it; it isn’t likely to get any better until people decide traffic laws are more than just suggestions AND when they learn to drive without being on their cellphone life support system. Regarding lawyers -all lawyers are bums. Except MY lawyer.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I know who is to blame. It’s the drivers who despite the conditions drove more than 65 mph! 65-70 is the speed limit when the conditions are perfect but when they are not, you use common sense. (Oh, wait, I forgot we don’t have that anymore.) When the weather is crappy, I slow down but 95% of other drivers don’t. Take some personal responsiblity!