Have you been in a car collision? Most likely, your insurance company is promising to take care of you through this life interruption and they likely will. Chances are they will take care of you during this difficult time. However, according to the Insurance Research Council people who have been injured and hired an attorney to settle their matter win 3.5 times more in settlement compensation with victims who do not hire an attorney.
Obviously, before you settle you must still have an attorney, so the question remains can you afford one.
Generally, the answer is YES!
Many of personal injury lawyers work on what is called a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee is a fee that is only paid if a settlement is awarded to the you as the client. This means that if you are not awarded a settlement you do you not have to pay the attorney.
When meeting with a potential attorney to assist you with your personal injury matter, you should inquire if they are working on a contingency fee basis and how expenses will be handled.
During the course of your representation, many times there are expenses that are incurred. There are two things that you should ask about.
First, are expenses paid before attorneys’ fees are calculated?
Some attorneys, including Fields Law, will take out the expenses before calculating attorney’s fees which means less attorney’s fees and more client payment for you.
Second, does the firm cover the expenses or will you as the client?
Some attorneys will pay expenses on your behalf and then subtract them from your settlement. While other attorneys will ask that you cover some or all of expenses. The benefit of you paying the expenses is less money coming out of your settlement and you have more of a say in what is money is spent on during your case.
