Larry H. Parker, a renowned accident and personal injury attorney whose television ads famously pledged to “fight for you” and were ubiquitous in Los Angeles households, passed away on March 6 in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. He was 75.
His son, Justin Parker, confirmed his death, refraining from disclosing the cause.
Throughout the years, residents of Los Angeles grew accustomed to Mr. Parker’s distinctive style of self-assurance and commitment, with his visage adorning billboards throughout the city and gracing television screens in advertisements.
“When it comes to the law, you want someone who carries a big stick,” a narrator says in one commercial that cuts from a hockey brawl to a shot of Mr. Parker in a suit and glasses, standing with both hands on a desk, ready for a courtroom showdown.
“People sometimes ask me why I seem so angry in my television commercials,” Mr. Parker said in another ad. “Well the truth is I am angry. I’m angry when big insurance companies take advantage of little people.”
His commercials crafted an image of a legal fighter, whose intimidating persona could bolster a plaintiff’s case.
Those injured seemed keen to enlist his firm, the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, which has amassed over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements since its establishment 50 years ago, as per its website.
“I wanted the consumer to see someone who cares about their rights,” Mr. Parker said in a 1995 interview. “They’re seeing me, the real guy.”
Embedded within many of the advertisements was a procession of testimonials from individuals affected by injury or adversity.
However, beneath the prominent banner displaying the firm’s 800-number lay fine print indicating that the accounts were dramatizations, enacted by “actors impersonating injury victims in fictitious cases.”
The commercials embraced a campy style characteristic of personal injury lawyers, yet Mr. Parker distinguished himself as an advocate for those who felt marginalized against impersonal insurance conglomerates.
“If the insurance companies would just treat these people fairly,” Mr. Parker told, “they’d put guys like me out of business.”
Larry Hugh Parker was born on Aug. 26, 1948, in Philadelphia to Ben Parker and Netty (Reardon) Parker.
He earned his degree in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1970. Subsequently, he attended Southwestern Law School, obtaining a California State Bar certificate in 1973, as indicated by his LinkedIn profile.
Mr. Parker is survived by his wife, Irene Parker; his son Justin; two daughters, Shelley and Jodi Parker; and three granddaughters.
The firm’s commercials first aired around 1982. Their exposure skyrocketed during the O.J. Simpson trial, capturing a global audience amidst a cultural phenomenon. However, Mr. Parker noted that ad space during the trial was more competitive.
His advertisements, along with those of several competitors, stirred unease among California lawmakers. Concerns arose among legislators and certain litigators that these commercials might lead potential plaintiffs to perceive the legal system as a means for personal gain.
“If anyone looks at these ads, there is a common message,” a California Trial Lawyers Association spokesman told in 1994. “You can make big bucks by ripping off the system.”
Mr. Parker, though, felt everyone should have the chance to fight back.
“We’re always going to be attacked,” he said. “But in the end, in a lifetime, everyone needs a lawyer.”
