How Do You Pay a Personal Injury Attorney?
Dealing with the aftermath of an injury that could have reasonably been avoided can be a difficult situation. Not only do you have to take care of your injuries and your health, but you also have to deal with the financial aspects of treatment and recovery. You might need to fix or replace a car or other personal property, and you might miss a lot of work and a lot of wages. One way you can combat these expenses is by filing a lawsuit against the party that caused your injuries, but with all the bills you have coming in, how are you going to pay an attorney?
Contingency Fees
There are all types of attorneys who charge in various ways, but many personal injury attorneys charge contingency fees. This is a way for people like you to receive compensation without having to go deeper into debt to receive that compensation. The lawyer will look over your case to determine whether it’s worth fighting. If the lawyer feels the case can be won, he or she will typically take the case with the fee contingent upon the win. If the case is lost, the lawyer will not receive a fee for representing you.
Contingency fees come right out of your settlement money before you are able to see any of it yourself. Many lawyers charge somewhere from 33% to 40%, though that could vary based on a variety of factors. Those factors might include the experience of the lawyer, the complexity of the case and including a wide range of others. If you would like to discuss a possible case or have any questions for an Elizabeth, NJ personal injury lawyer, you could seek out a firm like Rispoli & Borneo, PC to assist you.
Additional Expenses
Keep in mind you might be paying for more than just the lawyer fees, and sometimes those additional expenses are due at the time of service. For example, if you need an expert witness to aid in your case, the lawyer might suggest paying someone for his or her time. You might have to pay that expense. Filing your case also costs money, so you could be required to pay filing costs.
It’s important that you speak with your attorney about all of the additional expenses that might come up because some attorneys roll it all into the contingency fee. They realize nobody expects these situations to arise and that most people don’t have extra money sitting around to pay for injuries that could have been avoided. If the case is lost, you would probably still be responsible to pay for the additional fees, even if you didn’t owe the lawyer fee.