Car accident lawyers who operate on contingency can accept a percentage of the settlement a court chooses to offer you instead of requesting up-front payment for the services rendered to you. This is only one manner through which a firm can request payment, but the American Bar Association notes it could run you between 33 and 40 percent of your settlement.
The Matter of Contingency
As mentioned, car accident lawyers can request payment for their services through a variety of means. Some choose to work on an hourly rate, requesting an average of $100 per hour. Alternatively, an attorney may choose to request an upfront fee with other costs added in later into your case.
However, many car accident lawyers and their affiliated firms opt to operate on contingency. Contingency-based firms allow victims of a car accident to seek out legal advice without fear of immediate legal consequences. These firms instead can choose to request a percentage of your settlement, should a court opt to reward you as such.
As mentioned, the American Bar Association notes that car accident lawyers can request between 33 and 40 percent of your offered settlement. That percentage can change depending on whether or not your case ends up going to court.
It is possible, of course, for a liable party to offer you a settlement at the scene of an accident. You do not, however, have to accept these sorts of settlements out of hand. Instead, you can go over them with an attending attorney and determine whether or not the settlement addresses all of your potential avenues for compensation. If it seems as though the settlement is insufficient, a car accident lawyer can negotiate with the liable party on your behalf. In these cases, you can see lawyers taking the aforementioned 33 percent of your settlement.
However, liable parties may not be open to negotiation. They may also choose to leave the scene of an accident without offering you a settlement at all. In these cases, you can work with a car accident lawyer to craft a complaint detailing your accident that you can file with a court in your area. Complaints consist of:
- Descriptions of your accident and how it took place
- The identity of the party you believe to be liable for your losses in the accident
- Evidence meant to support your projected liability
- A request for fair compensation
- Calculations to back up your request for compensation
If your case does need to go to court, you can expect a car accident lawyer to take up to 40 percent of your settlement, should a court choose to award you one. This higher cost comes as a result of a lawyer’s need to present an argument before both a judge and a jury.
Additional Costs to Consider
That said, do note that there may be additional fees for you to contend with, even if you are working with a firm that operates on contingency. These charges can include:
- The cost of filing your aforementioned complaint with a local court or with a court higher up in the system.
- An investigator’s fee, as an investigator may need to look over the scene of an accident to determine which involved party may be liable for your damages.
- Expert witness fees should you need a medical practitioner or another party to elaborate on your losses or on the evidence to identify an involved party as liable for your losses.
- Fees related to the retrieval of any medical records detailing injuries endured and treated after the accident occurred.
What Compensation Can You Receive After a Car Accident?
Car accidents can result in trauma for a number of reasons. Recovering can take time, but it becomes simpler when you can move through the legalities with a clearer head. Understanding contingency, for example, can seem frustrating if you are not certain what kind of compensation your case may net you.
The good news is that working with a car accident lawyer can allow you to better understand what your rights are after a car accident. Not only can you rely on a car accident lawyer to represent you in and out of court, but you can also work with them to craft a legal complaint and calculate your potential compensation.
Your avenues for compensation after a car accident can include but are not always limited to:
- The cost of any medical procedures you needed at the time of the accident
- The cost of any future medical procedures doctors or other affiliated professionals determine that you may need to restore your previous quality of life
- The cost of any medical aids you may need to restore your previous quality of life, including canes, boots, or other supports
- The cost of any prescription medications you may need to deal with pain or other injuries related to your accident
- Pain and suffering
- Physical therapy
- Psychological counseling
- Wrongful death and funeral costs, if necessary
Other factors involving your case may also allow a court to place punitive charges on the liable party. These charges are designed to discourage the kind of behavior that resulted in your accident in the first place.
Recovering from a Car Accident
You need to take time for yourself while recovering from a car accident. A car accident lawyer in your area can provide you with legal aid without any upfront costs.
If you or a loved one suffered a personal injury or property damage during a car accident, you can work with the team with Shaw Legal Solutions to help you calculate what compensation you may be owed. The team, in turn, will only request payment for services rendered if you receive a settlement for your losses.
To start building a case against a liable party, you can reach out to the team with Shaw Legal Solutions at (425) 214-4946.