Suppose you’re an injured person who has recently incurred serious injuries from a car accident, you must be sitting in front of your computer to find an apt accident lawyer who can work on your behalf. You must have come across several ads on television as well as on the internet.
As you already strive to come to terms with the sky-high medical expenses that you incur after a car accident, the next thing that comes to your mind is how much a car accident attorney in Stockton costs. Keep reading the concerns of this article to know more about the expense of working with a car accident personal injury lawyer.
Should personal injury lawyers handle fees on a contingency basis?
It goes without saying that one of the most vital steps after a car accident is to get in touch with a lawyer instantly. However, before hiring an attorney, you need to understand the fee structure.
Though it is true that lawyers charge various rates from clients, yet most lawyers are supposed to handle fees on a contingency basis. As per this structure, lawyers can charge a fee only after they win a case.
And in case the parties involved wish to settle the car accident case outside the court, the lawyer can charge a specific percentage of the settled amount. On the contrary, if the case reaches trial, the lawyer should minus a percentage from the sum received by the client.
As long as the percentage to be charged is concerned, lawyers can charge from 33% to 40%. However, these charges depend on the guidelines of the law firm involved.
Besides this, the percentage that can be charged also depends on the resources and time invested by the lawyer to iron out the case. In an event where the parties involved, resolve the case even before the proceeding of the suit, the fee structure has to be around 33%. And if the case reaches court, the fee structure will be 40%.
Should there be upfront payments?
In case the concerned lawyer is not following the contingency fee basis, the accident lawyer can break down his charges in this manner:
- Flat Fee: Here, the lawyer will demand a one-time fee before he even handles the car accident claims. However, this type of flat fee is not too common among personal injury lawyers.
- Retainer: Here, the lawyer may ask for an upfront fee. After that, he collects a contingency fee in case the client wins. Later on, the lawyer is supposed to deduct the retainer amount from the contingency fee received.
Are there any additional expenses involved?
Apart from the primary fee amount of the lawyer, there are several other costs involved. These costs are usually insured during the process of the claim. While a few lawyers pay off these costs from their funds and later on get it reimbursed from the award money recovered, others demand the fees from their clients since the beginning. You have to settle and negotiate on these charges before hiring an attorney.
What is net settlement?
The net settlement is the take-home money you receive after the case is complete and won. However, there might be other costs like postage fees, investigator fees, or photocopy fees. You need to ask your attorney if they choose to deduct the concerned fee from the net settlement.
Injured people are usually the most vulnerable people financially because of sky-high medical expenses and loss of work. Hence, you have to make sure you hire an attorney and discuss everything about the costs related to your case.
