The other night, in trying to watch some news on TV, I was interrupted by about five ads asking me to go to one or the other law firm specializing in personal injury work, especially car accidents. It seemed that a least half of the advertising was from law firms chasing injured victims. (In these cases, lawyers usually receive a contingency percentage of the settlement, perhaps one-third of the award.)

In words that my Dad used to say: “I finally had my belly full of it.” I ended up turning off the TV.

Back in the days when I went to law school and was admitted to the Bar, advertising like this was deemed improper for lawyers. They were supposed to “remain above the fray” and let the potential customers reach out for them. Now, there is full-time “ambulance chasing” and done in full view on television.

My recollection is that some lawyer or law firm brought a lawsuit alleging that restricting advertising of this nature was somehow unconstitutional and violated the first amendment. Whatever the noble reason, the courts now allow it and we, the viewing public, have to put up with it.

Of course, the driving force behind the advertising and the money to pay for it are insurance companies. They are the ones who end up paying the bill, and they are vilified over and over in the ads as if they are the “bad guy.” No one mentions about who pays the insurance premiums which fund the insurance companies-that happens to be us, you and me, “Joe Blow,” out here on the streets and roads of the country driving our cars.

There are a couple of ads which I believe are especially egregious. One of them says something like: “We, your lawyers, are working for you — the judges work for New York State.” Who are they kidding? The judges work for us, we, the people and taxpayers of New York who have elected them! In my view, that ad should be grounds for disbarment as lawyers are also officers of the court.

I say these things not to condemn all lawyers … as a matter of fact, I am a non-practicing, retired one. But, the advertising to try to recruit victims and start personal injury lawsuits is unseemly.

Though probably futile, I wish we could go back to the days of no advertising for lawyers when there were many local law firms committed to providing a great breadth of legal services. The same law firm would work on estates, real property transactions, advice on criminal matters, business and corporate law-and there was often a litigator in the firm who could handle personal injury and negligence claims.

There are a few such firms left — but not like in the old days.

I suppose I could be likened to Don Quixote flailing at windmills. No amount of objection by me will likely change anything.

So, I expect I will have to continue my practice of just turning off the television when I start hearing and seeing these atrocious ads promising me money coming from insurance companies for injuries alleged of one kind or the other.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident and a former New York state Assemblyman.