After a personal injury accident, many people may be reluctant to hire a lawyer because they are already out of work and don’t have a way to support their family, never mind paying an attorney to represent them. However, many personal injury attorneys, whether for car accidents, premises liability, product liability or medical malpractice cases, offer free case evaluations and will work on a contingency fee because we know you would never be able to afford representation by an experienced attorney when you are out of work. Your case, our contingency commitment.
Access Justice without Financial Risk
When an attorney works on a contingency basis, the firm takes the case without you having to pay for the attorneys’ fees upfront. Once you agree to retain the attorney, you will sign a contingency contract. The fees dictated by the contract come out of your settlement. In most cases, attorneys advertise that you don’t have to pay their fees unless you win your case. This is a winning proposition for you since the attorney takes the risk.
When a firm offers to take your case on a contingency basis, you know it has the resources to go up against the insurance companies’ high-priced large law firms.
The other benefit is that you have an experienced attorney protecting your rights in Charlotte, NC, accident cases. Insurance companies will try anything to deny a claim or offer you a pittance, frequently violating your rights in the process.
How Contingency Fees Are Different
When you hire a lawyer who doesn’t work on a contingency basis, you may have to pay for the initial case evaluation or consultation. You will also have to pay a hefty retainer that could range from $2,500 and up, depending on the type of case you have.
With an attorney who works on a contingency basis, you don’t come out of pocket for attorneys’ fees until you win your case.
Client and Attorney Incentives
Why would an attorney work for free? Technically, the firm isn’t working for free. Before an attorney agrees to take your case, he or she looks at the facts of your case. If the attorney believes you can win, she will offer to take your case.
When working on a contingency basis, a Charlotte, NC, law firm has a lot of incentive to do everything possible to win your case, including going to trial if the insurance company refuses a fair and reasonable settlement.
If you lose your case, the attorney works for free. Your accident case could cost tens of thousands of dollars, and that’s a lot of money for a firm to lose, especially when it has to pay support staff and other expenses related to running the firm when working on your case.
If you win, the attorney takes a percentage, which is listed in the contingency agreement. The more money you win in a settlement or trial, the more the firm recovers. This benefits you in that the firm will work hard to ensure you win your case.
Level the Playing Field
One of the most important factors of hiring an attorney on a contingency basis is that it allows you to level the playing field. When another’s negligence causes you injury, you will most likely deal with insurance companies, not directly with the person or entity that caused the accident or incident.
Insurance companies often have high-paid in-house lawyers or pay large law firms to handle their claims. It’s difficult to go up against a firm with a ton of resources while you have none. It can delay your case until you run out of money.
When you hire an attorney on a contingency basis, the firm uses its resources to go against the insurance companies big-money lawyers – it puts you on an equal playing ground.
Eliminate Upfront Costs and Hidden Fees
When you hire an attorney with a standard fee schedule, you not only pay attorneys’ fees, but you also pay a separate hourly wage for support staff. In many cases, that can save you some money since the support staff’s hourly rate is much less than the attorney’s.
A standard contract also provides for expenses, such as copies, stamps, and other administrative fees that are unknown at the time of signing the contract. You could end up with many unexpected charges.
When you retain an attorney to work on a contingency basis, the attorney receives a set percentage from your settlement or trial award. The attorney must cover all of his expenses with that percentage. Thus, you have no “surprises” waiting for you when you receive your bill.
Better Case Selection and Preparation
Another benefit for you, when an attorney works on a contingency basis is that the attorney is less likely to take a case that can’t be won. Sometimes, less scrupulous attorneys may take a case that is questionable just to get the billing hours from you.
When an attorney works on a contingency basis and promises that you don’t pay unless you win, the attorney is not going to risk losing money on a bad case.
Reducing Financial Stress
When you’re out of work for any reason, you have financial stress, wondering how to pay the bills and keep food on the table. When you are out because of accident injuries, in many cases, you don’t know when you can go back to work – if you can go back to work. This exponentially increases the financial stress you feel, especially if you have minor children you are supporting or your spouse doesn’t work.
On top of that, when you work with an attorney that charges by the hour, you have the stress of paying attorneys’ fees. When you hire a firm that works on a contingency basis, you have none of this stress since the firm doesn’t take a dime for attorneys’ fees if you lose your case.
Maximizing Compensation
One more benefit of hiring an attorney on a contingency basis is that the attorney is going to work hard to maximize the compensation you can recover. She will work harder to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve, even if your injuries are less than catastrophic or severe. The more you recover, the more the firm makes.
If you suffered injuries in an accident or incident, contact a Charlotte, NC, accident attorney who offers work on a contingency basis. Your initial case evaluation is always free, and you don’t pay unless you win.
