Personal injury firm at center of dispute over unauthorized sidewalk messages
A personal injury law firm in Hartford, Connecticut, has been cited for more than a dozen unauthorized sidewalk advertisements, including one message that said, “Look both ways before you cross.” (Photo from Shutterstock)
A personal injury law firm in Hartford, Connecticut, has been cited for more than a dozen unauthorized sidewalk advertisements, including one message that said, “Look both ways before you cross.”
Police told NBC Connecticut that Trantolo & Trantolo violated a city ordinance when it stenciled the text on the sidewalks of Hartford without written consent. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam also told NBC Connecticut that the city has discovered at least 15 messages from the firm and may file a complaint with the state grievance committee over the incident.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, Trantolo & Trantolo said Hartford “has a serious road safety problem.”
“Working with an outdoor advertising company that has executed similar temporary sidewalk campaigns in cities across the country, Trantolo & Trantolo recently placed a series of temporary stencils throughout Hartford and West Hartford highlighting important local and statewide safety statistics,” according to the statement. “The stencils were created using either power washing or temporary chalk—not spray paint—and were always intended to be temporary.”
Trantolo & Trantolo also noted in its statement that it planned to remove all remaining stencils at the end of its campaign.
According to NBC Connecticut, the West Hartford Department of Public Works also found unauthorized messages from the firm around 24 of its crosswalks and used a powerwasher to remove them.
Trantolo & Trantolo has offices in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts.
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