After all, even though one’s initial health care may be free as a citizen, that in no way means the government will foot the bill for specialty therapy sessions and other sorts of materials a victim needs to get their life back in order. This is why it’s always a smart move to seek an attorney if you have been injured in an automobile accident. Though this can also seem like a scary prospect to some. Lawyers do cost money, right?
How Much Do Car Accident Lawyers Charge?
The cost of car accident lawyers is actually a pretty cloudy subject for most people. Colloquially speaking, accident attorneys are viewed as “ambulance chasers” and have bad reputations as sharks. Is that true? How much money will you have to put up to seek the help of a qualified accident attorney? Here is some information on that subject that may come in handy.
The Way Accident Lawyers Structure Their Fees
While you will find some accident lawyers who want to charge you up-front fees, and charge you for hourly services, the fact is that these are the ones to avoid. The best lawyers in the game know full well that they are going to be able to get you a settlement if you were not at fault. Their careers revolve entirely around negotiating with billion-dollar insurance companies and their specialty council, and so they know how to make deals and earn settlements. So, while an accident lawyer is going to charge you a fee, the best ones in the business will not charge you a penny up front. They work off of commission.
A Different Sort of Fee
So, as you can see, car accident lawyers worth hiring for your case charge a different sort of fee. They are going to charge you once you win. They’re going to put in the time and the resources to find evidence in your case. They are going to work up the recreation of the accident and prove how it was not your fault. They are going to present this either to the other side in proffer sessions; or in cases where the other side’s insurance company is holding out, they will present this in court. The thing to remember here is that you are not dealing with another driver, per se; you will be dealing with their insurance. The only exception here would be if the driver is uninsured, and we’ll discuss that in more detail later on. For right now, focus on the fact that these insurance companies are going to be doing the battling with your attorney, and 99 out of 100 times, they want to settle to avoid court due to the fact that the courts could award you a whole lot more than your lawyer(s) initially requested. Though this is risky. The point being that they charge after you win.
Commission When You Win Your Case
The most common way that these lawyers are paid is by charging you around 30% commission of your settlement fee. This could be a whole lot of money they’re making, or a little. The one thing you do know with this model, however, is that your legal team is going to do whatever it can to ensure that your settlement is rather large. The larger your payday is, the more money they make. They want their 30% cut to be very lucrative, and you walk away with the majority of the money.
What Happens if You Lose?
There are exceptions here. If you lose, for instance, will you have to pay? By and large, no; at least, not with a qualified legal team. Though if you’re also sued, or if the other driver was uninsured and you’re going after a private citizen, these are instances where the lawyer may want money upfront. Your goal here should be to hire a qualified accident attorney to ensure that you will only have to pay out a percentage of a healthy settlement.
