When you’re involved in a car accident, you may begin to worry about all the bills piling up. You’ll have your car repairs and medical bills, but it doesn’t stop there. You may have to miss work so you can physically recover from your injuries, but your utility bills and house payments won’t go on hold during that time, so you’ll have those bills piling up as well.
The good news is, as the victim of a car accident, you may be able to get compensation from the at-fault party through a lawsuit. The problem is, that will only add lawyer fees to your already high pile of bills, right? Maybe not!
Contingency Fees
Many car accident lawyers who represent a plaintiff will work on a contingency fee basis. This means your payment is contingent upon winning the case. Instead of having to fork out a large fee before the lawyer will provide you with representation, he or she will work for free until you win the case and reach a settlement. His or her fee will come out of the settlement, and you’ll be given the rest to cover the costs of the other bills you have.
Contingency fees range from lawyer to lawyer and situation to situation, though many are in the range of 33%. If your lawyer has more experience or a higher rate of winning cases, he or she may charge a higher fee. If your case is complicated, including criminal acts or another complicated scenario, you may be charged a higher fee as well because working the case will take longer.
Other Expenses
There are always other expenses that seem to creep up when dealing with lawsuits. You have filing fees, copying fees, expert witness expenses, costs to obtain medical records, court reporter fees, and a variety of others. Speak with your attorney about how he or she deals with those extra expenses.
One attorney might take care of the costs as long as the settlement reaches a certain amount. Another might ask that you pay the costs as they arise during the course of the case. Yet another could have a total at the end that you are asked to pay, and that would be in addition to the contingency fee.
Learning More From Your Attorney
If you really want an accurate number for how much you can expect to pay your car accident attorney, contact the attorney directly. He or she can help you more deeply understand contingency fees, additional expenses, or hourly fees if that’s how he or she works. Contact a car accident lawyer, like an car accident attorney in Melbourne, Florida, today to learn more.
Thank you to the experts at Arcadier, Biggie & Wood, PLLC, for their insight into auto accident injury and the law.