Celebrity Confidentiality: Do You Need It for a Personal Injury Case? This Will Help You Decide!

We represent famous celebrities who require a high degree of confidentiality.

Whether you’re a celebrity or an up-and-coming star who needs confidentiality, and you were injured in an accident, assaulted, or a victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual assault, in New York, you came to the personal injury law firm that knows how to protect celebrity confidentiality.

Celebrity Confidentiality Problems In a Personal Injury Case

Celebrities have greater protection for confidentiality with doctors than with lawyers because of the Federal HIPAA law.

HIPAA applies to insurance defense lawyers but does not apply to plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyers. Additionally, even if a lawyer signs a confidentiality agreement, confidential information can be leaked by any one of numerous employees, just like with a medical office.

If a celebrity is injured and wants to get a lawyer, it’s important to have a personal injury lawyer that has special procedures in place to protect your confidentiality even from our own employees.

If a Celebrity Files a Personal Injury Claim Is It Bad for Publicity?

That depends. It may be wiser not to file a personal injury claim, or it may not have a negative effect. We offer two benefits to help you decide and prevent creating a problem for your career.

First, Founding Partner Philip Franckel is highly experienced with branding, marketing, and TV production. I understand the issues that confront a celebrity considering a personal injury claim for an accident, assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual abuse.

Secondly, with your consent, we can consult with your PR firm or agent and keep them appraised of every step. If they have a suggestion, we can accommodate them. If they want to discontinue and that’s what you want, we’ll do that.

John Stossel apparently thinks filing a personal injury claim isn’t bad for publicity even though he is a hard-core, tort reform, anti-lawsuit, and anti-personal injury lawyer hypocrite. John Stossel hired a personal injury lawyer to sue pro wrestler Dave Schultz and the World Wrestling Federation after Dave Schultz slapped him twice. John Stossel reportedly settled for $400,000.

Sometimes Bad Publicity is Good Publicity, But Sometimes It’s Not

We recently represented one of the most well-known national celebrities seen on TV and talk shows every day. The injury was a facial scar caused by a doctor, but no one knows, and you can’t see it on TV.

The celebrity wanted to be compensated but wanted celebrity confidentiality. See below how we gave him or her celebrity confidentiality.

There were two publicity problems with this claim. One was that the scar disappeared after we were retained and is now barely noticeable. The second is that the claim is against a well-known doctor.

It would not have been advisable from a publicity viewpoint to initiate a medical malpractice claim because it would look like the celebrity was suing a well-known doctor for a minor issue. We consulted with the celebrity’s PR firm, and everyone was in agreement to drop the claim.

Many lawyers encourage publicity, sometimes, to the detriment of their clients, because publicity is good for the lawyer’s practice. One of my first cases involved representing Renata whose case was reported on national TV. As it was my first case involving national publicity, I called the lawyer on a related case also on national TV to find out how to kill the publicity. Instead, he instructed me for 40 minutes on how to keep it going!

However, many other injuries will not affect publicity negatively. If you’re a celebrity, we’re here to discuss that with you. Just call Attorney Phil Franckel for a free consultation (see below how to contact us confidentially).

How We Protect Confidentiality for Celebrities in a Personal Injury Case

We can sign a confidentiality agreement, but a celebrity needs greater protection.

We developed our confidentiality procedures because we represent nationally known celebrities who requested extreme confidentiality.

For celebrities requesting extreme confidentiality, we will not even enter your case, name, or any information about you in our computer system so other lawyers and staff are not aware of your case.

We limit knowledge of your case to only a couple of partner attorneys and the immediate staff needed to work on your case and do not discuss your name, case, or information with other office staff.

You’re a Celebrity Who Wants Confidentiality — Does Your Case Have To Go to Court?

No. When extreme confidentiality is required, we will keep your case out of court and seek a settlement with a confidentiality agreement. Most cases are settled. If your case cannot be settled, it will be your decision as to whether a lawsuit should be started.

If you want a lawsuit to be started, although your name will be public, cases are usually settled before trial. If your case is settled, the terms can remain confidential. If your case goes to trial, it may still be settled during the trial without a public verdict.

If the jury issues a verdict, the verdict amount will be public, but most cases are actually settled for an amount lower than the verdict after the verdict is issued and before an appeal. In that situation, the settlement can be confidential.

Some Lawyers Use Celebrities to Get Press Coverage

When Nicki Minaj’s father, Robert Maraj, was struck and killed (five minutes down the road from me on Roslyn Road in NY) by a hit-and-run driver who then tried to hide his car in his garage, a well-known lawyer in Los Angeles was hired. Since that lawyer isn’t admitted in New York to practice law, he partnered with a New York lawyer.

The lawyers, representing Carol Maraj filed a $150 million lawsuit against the man who killed her husband Robert Maraj.

When lawyers file a $150 million lawsuit it’s primarily done to get publicity. In fact, in New York, to prevent lawyers from suing for large amounts to get publicity, lawyers are no longer allowed to mention the amount of money in the lawsuit papers. Instead, the amount demanded is told to the jury if the case goes to trial.

This is one of the many articles distributed about the case of Nicki Minaj’s father.

Sometimes, publicity helps to get more money, but sometimes, clients don’t want the publicity. Publicity is always good for the lawyer.

When I represented a girl reported in newspapers and on national TV as the Amy Fisher clone case also known as the Long Island Lolita, I tried to stop the publicity while other lawyers were coaching me on how to keep it going.

If you don’t mind the publicity, we know how to use publicity to get you more money. But if you don’t want the publicity, we’re one of the few lawyers you can trust to keep your information confidential.

Can a Confidentiality Agreement Protect You or Make it Public?

In 1997, Dennis Rodman fell into a group of photographers and while getting up kicked Eugene Amos, a cameraman, in the groin. Dennis Rodman and Eugene Amos entered into a settlement agreement to pay Eugene Amos $200,000. The settlement agreement included a confidentiality clause requiring Eugene Amos to keep the settlement secret.

The problem occurred when Eugene Amos didn’t claim the $200,000 as gross income on his tax return. The IRS claimed that his injury was minimal and the money was really paid for the confidentiality clause.

The court ruled that $120,000 was paid for the personal injury which is not taxable and $80,000 for the confidentiality clause which is taxable.

The problem is that because the case went to court to determine the amount on which income tax was due, Dennis Rodman’s confidential settlement became public. It probably wasn’t a big deal since the event was captured on TV. But it shows how a confidential settlement can become public.

Founding Partner Phil Franckel

Attorney Phil Franckel started his law career by working for an entertainment law firm in New York City which represented famous actors and models.

Later, Attorney Phil Franckel worked at a very large New York personal injury law firm and left to start his own law firm. Phil Franckel owns 1-800-HURT-911.

How to Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer When You’re a Celebrity and Want Confidentiality

To contact us and maintain confidentiality, you can speak directly with one of the founding partners Rob Plevy, Esq. or Phil Franckel, Esq. You will have ongoing cellphone access to both of us, 7 days/nights.

Contact options:

Best >> Call our cell phones directly by calling:

516-621-9399 ext. 1 to reach Partner Attorney Rob Plevy’s cell phone
516-621-9399 ext. 5 to reach Partner Attorney Phil Franckel’s cell phone

Use our chat service and give a false name. The chat transcript will go only to Rob Plevy, Esq. and Phil Franckel, Esq. but will obviously be seen by the chat operator so give a false name.

Send an email. The email will go only to Rob Plevy, Esq. and Phil Franckel, Esq. but do not give specifics about your case. We call every contact as soon as we receive an email.

When you need celebrity confidentiality, we’ll protect your identity and keep your information confidential.