Our Image Takes a Hit

Ya know I really do support the ISBA advertisements that show a picture of Abraham Lincoln with the tag line that Illinois has a pretty good history of lawyers. But then you get something like this from today's Trib. and the image polishing seems all for naught:

Personal injury lawyer Gerald Penovich sat in his Loop office discussing a car crash with two clients.

Instead of expressing concern for their injuries, Penovich advised them to make sure that they told the doctor that their chest, neck, back and head hurt.

"He told them that he liked to make money and that they needed to go to the doctor a lot," court records said...

Penovich submitted the false claims and fake medical bills to insurance and automobile rental companies. He sought more than $100,000 in false claims and received about $50,000, court records show...