Once you are injured, your life may be on hold for a while. You may be unable to work and start to quickly stress about the bills that are continuing to come in while you are waiting to see what the next step is. It doesn’t take long until they pile up and you may feel overwhelmed.
Because of that, you may not want to hire a lawyer for a personal injury case. You can’t imagine what good representation is going to cost. Lucky for you, most personal injury lawyers know this and bill accordingly.
First of all, you will be able to meet with the lawyer for a free consultation. During this time, you will be able to discuss your case with the lawyer to see what your options are (or if you even have a case). Your lawyer will be able to give you a good idea about what you are looking at down the line so you know how to prepare. If you decide to proceed with the case, you will be able to talk about payment at this time.
Most lawyers are paid using a contingency fee. This means that your fee is contingent on the outcome. If your lawyer isn’t successful, you won’t owe him or her anything. If you win your case (in or out of court), you will owe him or her a percentage of your winning. This varies between lawyers and cases so you may be looking at a third of your settlement, though it can go as high as forty percent of your total winnings.
Though this may seem a little high, you have to remember that your lawyer is taking a gamble on your case. If you don’t win, he or she isn’t going to make anything, no matter how much work was done to prepare for your case. This amount can really add up, especially if your case ends up going on for a few weeks or months. Your lawyer may put many hours in, with no guarantee of payment.
That being said, you may be charged for some expenses that your lawyer may have. You may be responsible for paying any court costs, office expenses, research expenses, and much more. If your lawyer has to travel, you may be required to pay for this, whether or not you win your settlement.
For this reason, it is important that you really discuss payment before you decide to hire a certain lawyer. This ensures that there won’t be any unexpected expenses when you get your final bill. You are going to want to know if you only have to pay a contingency fee or if you will be required to pay for expenses. You may want to find out whether or not you will have to pay for these expenses if you don’t win your case.
Typically, the check will go to the lawyer where they will take their fees and expenses out before handing you the rest. Your lawyer will call you when the check comes and when yours is ready.
If you have been injured and don’t know where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will be glad to sit down with you to discuss your case and your options. If you decide to follow through with your case, we will be with you every step of the way, whether you are able to settle out of court or we have to take it to trial. If you are injured and can’t leave the hospital (or your home), we will be happy to come and talk to you there!