Examining Consumers’ Attitudes toward Personal Injury Litigation
Deidre M. Pettinga

Abstract
This study examines attitudes toward personal injury litigation and whether plaintiff’s attorney advertising, income, gender and desire for vengeance play a significant role in attitude formation. The study measured adults aged 18+, the same population targeted by this form of advertising. The results demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between this form of television advertising and positive attitudes about the act of filing a personal injury lawsuit. The results further detail the contribution of vengeance, advertising, and income on attitudes toward personal injury litigation. Previous studies have separately examined legal services advertising and vengeance; however, none has examined how a desire for vengeance factors into the manner in which consumers receive and/or react to plaintiff’s attorney advertising. These findings add to the literature related to legal services advertising and help expand the understanding of consumers’ desire for vengeance and how marketing communication strategies may or may not affect their resulting behavior.

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