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Injury Lawyer
When you are injured in an accident, you may not be able to work. When that occurs, and you want to hire an attorney, how can you afford one? On top of all your other problems, the medical bills keep coming in, and your pain may become so intense you can’t even sleep.
Whether you were injured in a home accident, a vehicle collision, or a slip and fall, you need an attorney to assist you in finding someone to help you medically and financially. So, how do you pay a personal injury attorney when you can’t afford one? The answer may surprise you.
Contingency
When you contact a lawyer about representing you, most of the time they will talk about taking your case on a contingency basis. As injury lawyers can explain, whether your lawyer settles the case out of court for you or takes the at-fault party to trial, the payment will still be based on a contingency fee. That means the case will be settled after the final verdict, and only if your lawyer wins the case for you.
Risk
Since your attorney is risking months or years of legal work on a gamble that they can win your case, it makes sense they should get a chunk of the compensation package they win. So, once the verdict comes in, the contingency agreement goes into effect. Most of these agreements are based on 33%, although additional costs are added to that amount. They can include:
- Research expenses
- Investigators or expert costs
- Filing fees
- Exhibit preparation charges
- Police and Medical reports expenses
- Travel costs
The longer the court case takes to settle, or the more it is appealed after trial, the more costly it will become. This is why many people opt for a settlement as quickly as possible.
Distribution
When your attorney gets the final compensation check, fees and costs will be deducted, along with their 33%. If your attorney worked out an arrangement for your medical bills and physical therapy costs to be held until after your settlement comes in, those bills will be deducted from your check as well. You will then get the remainder.
Location
Finding an attorney in your area that you can discuss your case with is the first step in getting a fair compensation package for your injuries. Make sure you ask the lawyer if they work on a contingency fee basis, and check if they offer free consultations. Once you meet with the personal injury attorney, you will have more information about what you can expect – and how they will get paid.