Kaare Johnson, a podcaster, has criticized billboard-style trial lawyers, such as those featured in Morris Bart advertisements, for allegedly avoiding courtrooms and driving up insurance rates by pressing excessive claims against insurers. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“I just saw the funniest billboard. It said ‘Morris Bart. Trial Attorneys,” said Johnson. “When is the last time anyone from Morris Bart law firm saw a courtroom? Morris Bart don’t go to trial. They just steal from insurance companies. Jack up our rates. Erroneous claims. Total bullshit.”
Across the Gulf South and Texas, “billboard attorneys” have become emblematic of a lawsuit culture that saturates highways and airwaves with promises of substantial settlements. According to insurance analysts, aggressive plaintiff firms employ heavy advertising and mass-claim tactics to escalate routine crashes into costly lawsuits, consequently increasing defense costs and payouts. A recent analysis indicates that excessive litigation fueled by these attorneys is exacerbating rising auto-insurance costs nationwide, resulting in higher premiums for ordinary drivers who may never file a claim.
The broader U.S. tort system now bears a multihundred-billion-dollar cost. The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform estimates aggregate tort costs at approximately $529 billion in 2022—equivalent to 2.1% of GDP and about $4,200 per household—with costs growing at an annual rate of 7.1% from 2016 to 2022, outpacing both inflation and GDP growth. Business groups argue that much of this “social inflation” arises from aggressive litigation strategies, third-party litigation funding, and nuclear verdicts that ultimately result in higher commercial-auto and personal-auto premiums for consumers.
Texas exemplifies how outsized verdicts and billboard-driven injury practices can impact affordability. Texans for Lawsuit Reform warns that lawyers “spend millions” attempting to turn every vehicle collision into a lawsuit, inflating medical bills to support massive pain-and-suffering claims and fueling “outrageously large verdicts” that increase insurance premiums for everyone. A related piece by the Lone Star Economic Alliance highlights nuclear verdicts exceeding $10 million—sometimes even for minor accidents—as a primary reason businesses face escalating liability and commercial-auto rates while supporting reforms like Texas Senate Bill 30 to curb abuse.
Johnson is a New Orleans-based radio and podcast host known for his straightforward commentary on local culture, politics, and everyday life. His show “The Neutral Ground with Kaare Johnson” features long-form discussions about New Orleans issues and beyond. Branding himself as “the Voice of New Orleans,” Johnson blends opinion with local color and sharp critiques of political and legal establishments—making his criticism of billboard attorneys and insurance costs consistent with his on-air persona.
