After an accident has occurred, hiring a personal injury attorney is the best decision you can make. No matter what type of accident you were involved in, an attorney can help build a case and provide all the necessary evidence you may need in court. Before deciding to hire a personal injury attorney, many individuals are concerned with the cost to hire a personal injury attorney. It is often difficult for individuals to obtain the money in advance to pay for an attorney, that is why personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis and are still able to be hired even without having the money upfront.
Upfront Costs
Upon hiring an attorney for a personal injury case, the only upfront costs to the firm are often minimal filing and service fees. These fees are not expensive and will not prevent an individual from being able to hire an attorney for their case.
Contingency Fees
All personal injury attorneys are hired on a “contingency” basis, meaning that there is no money required from a client to begin a case. Upon finishing and completing a case, an attorneys final fee comes from a percentage of the clients final settlement or court award. Typically in North Carolina, this percentage is 33% of the settlement total. Upon receiving the percentage of the settlement, mediation fees, deposition fees, etc. that were advanced by the firm are now taken out of the settlement.
Contingency Fee Agreement
Upon choosing to hire an attorney for your case, you should review the contingency fee agreement with your attorney and review any questions you may have before signing it. This document includes the exact percentage of the settlement that the attorney will be paid. While the typical percentage is 33%, this percentage can change based on a variety of factors including the complexity and risk of the case that the attorney is undertaking. In more complex cases, a higher contingency percentage will be required and noted in the agreement.
In instances where a personal injury case is able to be settled before an attorney has to file a lawsuit, the contingency fees are typically lower. On the other hand, if parties cannot reach a settlement and a lawsuit must be filed by an attorney, higher contingency fees can be expected. Nonetheless, the final decided contingency percentage will be listed in the agreement and should be reviewed with your attorney before signing.
Benefits to Hiring an Personal Injury Attorney
There are various benefits to hiring an attorney to take on your personal injury case.
- No money is required upfront, paid out of settlement upon completion of case
- Attorneys know how to negotiate a higher settlement and have better chance of winning
- Attorneys are able to provide faster compensation and save you time waiting on your case
Contact Us
After being in an accident it is important to begin building your case right away. An attorney can help assist you with building a case, without requiring money up front. At Schehr Law PLLC the cost to hire a personal injury attorney is zero, if you are looking for more information or have any questions please, do not hesitate to reach out. To learn more about our success and personal injury practice areas, click here.