HOUSTON – Weeks after the Astroworld tragedy the ads online and on TV from attorneys are in overdrive. As we see with every tragedy, there are always bad guys who will try to cash in. That’s why it’s important to know where you are sending your personal information and also to screen potential attorneys. KPRC 2 Investigates has what you need to know.
Astroworld Festival Attorney ad campaigns on all platforms
In the weeks since the Astroworld tragedy, the social media and tv ad campaigns are at a new level with attorneys soliciting concert-goers who might want to file a lawsuit.
“With this many people hurt and this many people that were killed, lawyers are looking to make sure that the rights and interests of those people are represented,” said Attorney Randy Sorrels, with Sorrels Law Firm and past President of the State Bar of Texas. (This firm is not representing any clients from the Astroworld Festival event.)
So far at least 240 lawsuits are on record, with more added daily. Randy Sorrels with Sorrels Law warns, if you are thinking about filing a lawsuit, don’t just sign up with the first attorney you see.
“If you’re going through social media, or someone has recommended, essentially a lawyer’s name, what you want to do is check into that lawyer’s background, look to see if they’re board-certified look to see if they’ve handled these types of cases before, look at their track record,” said Sorrels.
Check out potential attorney
You should check to make sure an attorney is board certified and is licensed to be practicing in Texas. The State Bar of Texas is a good place to start. There’s also good information available from the Texas State Law Library online. As we warned you in the days after the event, attorneys should not contact you or ask you for money.
Watch where you give your personal information
For many of these ads, you are asked to fill out an “eligibility check” to see if you are entitled to significant compensation.
This form should have the asking attorney’s name or logo on it because you want to know *who* you are giving your personal information to.
Ask attorney questions about who will handle your case
You’ll also want to make sure the attorney you sign up with is the attorney who will take your case. There are some attorneys who are collecting cases and transferring them to another attorney. This isn’t necessarily bad, but in that case, you have less control of *who* will represent you.
Do you qualify for Astroworld Festival lawsuit?
When considering a lawsuit, keep in mind, it’s not just for people who were physically hurt at the festival. Sorrels explains why considering your mental health is important too.
“Mental anguish, which can be real in these situations. PTSD is a real thing. And PTSD occurs in situations like this,” said Sorrels.
Our Investigates team looked through many of the lawsuits already filed in Harris county and there are people asking for more than a million dollars in damages because of PTSD and injuries.