Are you looking to hire a personal injury lawyer?
If yes, you’ve probably sustained an injury in the recent past, and you strongly believe someone is liable for your injuries. Perhaps you were hurt after slipping and falling when shopping in the mall, or you suffered a dog bite when jogging in your neighborhood.
Regardless of the nature of your injury, hiring a personal injury attorney is a big step in the right direction. But before you do it, you want to have a good understanding of typical personal injury lawyer fees.
It’s understandable why you would want to know about their charges. Even if you need an attorney’s help, you don’t want to overpay for their services.
Here’s a breakdown of their fees.
Initial Consultation Fee
Before any personal injury lawyer takes up a case, they often set an initial consultation with the client. This is where they get familiar with the nature and facts of the case. During this consultation, expect your lawyer to offer you valuable legal advice, even if they don’t agree to take up the case.
Some personal injury lawyers offer free, no-obligation initiation consultations (typically as a strategy to attract more clients), and others will charge you a certain amount.
Contingency Fee
The vast majority of personal injury lawyers charge a contingency fee. This means they’ll take a certain percentage off the settlement amount as payment for their legal services.
What if the case doesn’t end in a settlement? Your lawyer doesn’t get paid.
This is the main reason almost every lawyer will take you through an initial consultation. This is the only way to gather the information they need to establish whether your case will result in a settlement. So, when a lawyer accepts you as a client, they’ve reason to believe the case will end in a favorable outcome.
How much is the contingency percentage?
The industry average is 33% of the settlement amount, but this can rise to around 40% if the case has to go to trial. Also, depending on your negotiation skills, you might be able to get the lawyer to lower their contingency fee.
Case Costs
At this point, you could be wondering what happens if you choose a lawyer who offers a free initial consultation and the case ends up in no settlement. Does this mean they would have offered you free services all the way?
Well, there’s some truth in that, but it doesn’t necessarily mean no dime will leave your pocket. There are other costs that’ll crop up during the course of the course.
For example, if the case has to go to court, there are costs associated with filing a lawsuit. You might need to pay for an expert witness and other evidence collection measures.
You will meet these costs whether the case is won or lost.
Understand Personal Injury Lawyer Fees
Hiring a personal injury lawyer is essential when you’re looking to hold someone liable for you or your loved one’s injuries. With this guide on personal injury lawyer fees, you now have a good grasp of what you can expect to pay.
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