After suffering unexpected and serious injuries after an accident because of someone else’s reckless or negligent actions, the cost of talking to a lawyer is one of the most pressing concerns injured victims face. You receive more and more medical bills and sadly can’t go back to work (even if you want to) because you need to fully heal or don’t know when or if you will ever recover. But you still need to buy food and essentials for your family, pay your rent or mortgage, pay the utilities, and the list of expenses goes on and on.
Fortunately, injured victims like yourself don’t have to worry about the cost of speaking to a lawyer because you won’t have to pay a single cent to talk to one. Speaking to a lawyer is usually free, and once you agree to hire the lawyer, you will only pay your lawyer if they manage to secure compensation for your losses. Otherwise, your lawyer won’t even get paid.
Find a Personal Injury Lawyer Who Offers Free Initial Consultations
Skilled and experienced personal injury attorneys typically offer free initial case reviews or consultations since they are aware of the financial burdens that injured accident victims face. They are all about making it as easy as possible for victims to learn more about their case and determine whether they have a claim against the liable party to obtain compensation for their injuries and associated damages.
You can think of a free consultation with a personal injury attorney as sort of like a free learning session for you and a screening interview for the attorney. The lawyer can evaluate your claim based on what you say about your case to figure out if you have a solid personal injury case that could result in recovering compensation. You then get to ask questions about your case and get an idea of the lawyer’s experience, working style, and personality.
After the consultation, the lawyer can then give you a clearer picture of your claim and whether or not it is worth pursuing. If the lawyer believes your case has merit, you can then decide whether to file a personal injury claim and hire the lawyer.
Why Personal Injury Lawyers Offer Their Services on Contingency
Most, if not all, personal injury lawyers work with injured clients on what’s known as a contingent fee arrangement. With this fee arrangement, you and your lawyer will agree upfront that their fee will come out of the monetary compensation your lawyer secures (through a settlement) or wins (through a court verdict) on your behalf. This arrangement means that your lawyer will not receive any money for services rendered upfront or until you settle or win your personal injury case. In short, your lawyer will only collect fees once you get paid.
Many lawyers, not only those who focus on personal injury cases, work on a contingent fee basis to help make their legal services available to everyone. Plenty of injured victims, in particular, usually find themselves drowning in accident- and injury-related expenses. This is particularly true for victims who are the breadwinners of their families and can’t go back to work because of their injuries. For these people, missing work means losing valuable income.
With a contingency fee agreement, however, injured victims will have a chance to hire skilled personal injury lawyers that will help them seek the compensation they truly deserve for their losses. This payment arrangement also helps ensure that your lawyer will work diligently on your, as your lawyer will only collect fees when you get paid.
Clients and lawyers must agree to all the terms and conditions of a contingency fee agreement right from the start. In most cases, they use sliding-scale percentages, which are dependent on how much compensation the lawyer could recover as well as the amount of effort and time the lawyer puts into the case. All parties must likewise agree on how to pay the running costs of the case.
These costs typically include:
- Court filing fees
- Expert witness fees
- Deposition expenses
- Travel expenses
- Copying and office costs
These costs are expenses that your lawyer pays while negotiating and preparing your personal injury case. They could be on the lower or higher end, depending on the exact nature of your case but are typically higher if the case is not settled out of court. Your lawyer or his or her firm will deduct them from the compensation your lawyer secures for you.
Depending on the agreement, the lawyer may split these costs with the client or cover all the costs upfront. Whatever terms the parties decide on, the contingency fee agreement must be put in writing and signed by both parties. Make sure to understand all the terms included in the agreement and do not hesitate to ask your lawyer for clarification if you read things that you don’t completely understand.
Remember, Talking to a Lawyer About Your Personal Injury Case is Free
Experienced and reputable personal injury lawyers know and understand how financially and emotionally draining accidents and injuries could be. This is why they work on contingency and offer free initial case consultations. This way, all people, regardless of their financial capacity, can benefit from the country’s legal justice system.
It is also crucial to keep in mind that you have to know the statute of limitations that applies to your specific type of personal injury case. Medical malpractice claims, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability claims, and product liability claims are common examples of personal injury cases where different statutes of limitations may apply. Failing to file a lawsuit seeking damages for your losses before the time limit or statute of limitations runs out will result in forfeiture of your rights to pursue a claim against the negligent party that caused your injuries.
Now that you know that it will cost you nothing to talk to a personal injury lawyer, get in touch with a lawyer as soon as you can to protect your legal rights to proper compensation.
