LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — For anyone who has lived in Las Vegas for any amount of time, there are things seen around the valley that leave people saying, “Only in Las Vegas.” A new set of billboards for a local injury lawyer fits that description.
Located at the corner of Boulder Highway and Nellis Boulevard, across from Sam’s Town Casino, people are noticing a new billboard with the timely slogan, “Injured while searching for dead bodies at Lake Mead? Demand Compensation!”
The billboard is an advertisement for Parke Injury Law Firm put up by Steven Parke, who said it is meant to be a joke, catch people’s eyes and stand out among dozens of other lawyer billboards seen around the Las Vegas valley.
“The world as it is right now is depressing,” Parke told 8 News Now. “We get bad news every day, so why not throw something up that’s going to make people either chuckle, let them think about something, or what I thought would happen is no one would even bother to read it, but I guess I was wrong. People do read billboards. “
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
Parke said not all the feedback has been positive. When asked about the Lake Mead billboard he said it “is dripping with irony. It takes the idea of the greedy attorney mixed with the person who doesn’t want to accept any responsibility for anything they’ve done … which is very timely today.”
Parke has been a practicing attorney for about 12 years and has run his own firm for nine years. He earned his law degree at UNLV and has worked here ever since.
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING
When asked if there’s truth behind the new billboard – could someone demand compensation if “injured while searching for dead bodies at Lake Mead” – Parke said, “You possibly could. But as any attorney would tell you, it depends.” Parke added, “I hope you don’t go out searching for a dead body, but if you do, I guess you’re taking your chances.”
HE’S DONE IT BEFORE
This new Lake Mead-themed billboard is also not the first time Parke has opted for humor over accolades when it comes to his billboards. He has had billboards with quotes from Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Rapper Vanilla Ice made an appearance on another with the quote from his song Ice Ice Baby, “If you have a problem, yo, I’ll solve it.”
But none have caught the public’s attention like his most recent one mentioning bodies at Lake Mead.
Parke said when the billboard was created two bodies had been discovered. Now people have found human remains four times as the lake’s water level recedes.
SAUL GOODMAN?
One of the most popular shows on TV is Better Call Saul, a spinoff from Breaking Bad. The show revolves around the life of attorney Saul Goodman, who is shown to do just about anything to get clients and win cases. Parke said he’s been compared to Goodman because of these billboards.
“Some people did see it and (it) confirms every suspicion they have about attorneys, which is look at this guy, he’s going after the last shred of dignity here,” Parke said. “He’s chasing every buck he can. He’s the Saul Goodman of Las Vegas. And the joke is kind of on them because that was kind of the point.”