Advice on What You Should Pay for Effective Representation to Recover From Your Injuries
Car accidents are nerve-racking – period. If you have been injured in a car accident, the stress only gets worse. You need to hire an attorney to take on the greedy insurance companies. But can you really afford an attorney right now? You were just in an accident, your car may not be running, and you’re probably going to miss work.
Do! Not! Worry!
Personal injury attorneys do not “charge” for their services, in the traditional sense. You will not have to fork over a bunch of cash for a retainer, nor will they send you a bill before working on your case. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, your attorney will handle your case on a contingency fee.
What is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee is an agreement that your attorney will work on your case without an “up-front” payment, but your attorney gets a percentage of the winnings from your settlement or verdict. These contingency fees allow attorneys to represent people who are victims of negligence and are not in a financial position to pay an attorney to assist in their claim for damages. If your injury claim or trial results in zero compensation, then you do not “owe” your attorney anything.
In addition to your attorney working hard on your case with no guarantee of being paid, your attorney will advance any costs or fees associated with the prosecution of your claim or case. For instance, any filing fees, case expenses or expert witness used, your attorney will pay for those “up-front” and be reimbursed out of your settlement or verdict.
This system gives your attorney the incentive to work hard and maximize your settlement or verdict – as the settlement amount grows, so does your attorney’s fee.
How Would the System Work if Injury Lawyers Did NOT Work on Contingency?
If victims of negligence were forced to fund their own claims or lawsuits, it would be very easy for the large and greedy insurance companies to simply outspend their victims. The system would be unfair and heavily favor the side with more money. This would turn into the proverbial David vs. Goliath situation, minus the divine intervention. But having an attorney to take on the risk of litigating and funding your injury case is the best possible situation.
What Percentage do Lawyers Take?
Contingency fees can range from 30% up to 45%. Each client’s contingency fee will depend on a number of factors including the type of case and the complexity of such cases. In addition to the contingency fee, the expenses incurred to prosecute your case will be reimbursed as well. Typically, extra fees are found in the form of costs to obtain records, filing fees, expert witnesses, accident reconstructionists, etc. As with contingency fees, the costs and expenses can vary widely from case to case, depending on the situation.
Should I Ever Pay Upfront for an Attorney?
The only answer to this question is “NO!” It is never ok for a personal injury attorney to take a case and then ask for the client to pay them up-front.
Talk to a Georgia Trial Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a car accident and know the accident is not your fault, call the car accident attorneys at Georgia Trial Attorneys today at 833-4The-Win. We offer free consultations and will not take any money from you until we have resolved your case in your favor.