When you are hurt in an accident, you could be dealing with significant financial losses, in addition to the physical and emotional trauma of your injuries. You may be wondering how you can pursue justice if you cannot afford to hire an attorney.
Fortunately, many Florida personal injury lawyers will be willing to work with you on contingency. Under this payment structure, you only pay the lawyer if they secure a settlement or verdict for you.
What Are Contingency Fees?
Under a contingency-fee agreement, you can hire an attorney without worrying about having to cover any major out-of-pocket expenses. Generally, when you work with a law firm on contingency, you will not be expected to pay anything unless or until your attorney obtains a financial recovery for you.
Then, if your lawyer wins your case, you will pay a percentage of your injury settlement as your attorney’s fees. This figure may be somewhere between thirty and forty percent of the total amount of your injury settlement, depending on the specific details of your case.
If your lawyer does not win any compensation in your case, you will not need to worry about covering any of the costs associated with your case – they will walk away empty-handed.
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How Do Contingency Agreements Work for Personal Injury Claims?
The rate that each law firm requires for contingency agreements can vary. When you begin discussing the details of your case with your attorney, you can go over the specific terms and conditions of your contingency agreement.
It should be noted that in some cases, your attorney may require that you cover specific items or services should they become necessary. These details should be included as part of your contingency fee agreement so that you have a complete understanding of which costs, if any, you may need to cover up front.
Other Attorney’s Fees You May Owe
Many people who have been injured in accidents make the mistake of believing that a contingency fee means that their legal representation is pro bono, or free of charge.
However, that is not the case. There could be other incidental fees that you may be required to pay. Some of these expenses might include:
- Costs of hiring expert witnesses
- Court fees
- Costs of hiring a private investigator
- Travel fees
- Costs of obtaining necessary documents such as pay stubs, medical records, invoices, and more
When you are going over your contingency-fee agreement with your attorney, be sure to bring up any questions or concerns you might have about other attorney’s costs that may arise. That way, you do not have to worry about being blindsided by the costs of pursuing your personal injury claim.
Florida’s Regulations on Attorney’s Fees
Many lawyers get a poor reputation for charging high fees. Fortunately, the Florida Bar regulates the amounts that attorneys can charge their clients. What’s more, attorneys are prohibited from misleading the client about their case’s success and assessing fees based on the case’s anticipated outcome.
If you believe that an attorney you were interested in working with is charging contingency fees that are too high or against Florida Bar regulations, be sure to discuss your concerns with them before continuing.
Do All Personal Injury Attorneys Work on Contingency?
Not every personal injury lawyer works on contingency. Many will work on other types of fee structures, such as an hourly rate or retainers.
If your lawyer works at an hourly rate, the cost of your case will be based on the amount of hours it takes to resolve your personal injury claim. If your attorney takes retainers, you will be expected to put down a deposit that the law firm places into an account and uses as needed to cover the costs of building your case.
Services a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Provide You for a Contingency Fee
If you hire a personal injury lawyer for a contingency fee, they can handle these tasks for you:
- Putting together an evidence file
- Ordering the police or incident report
- Studying insurance policies and relevant laws
- Establishing at-fault and liable parties
- Assessing your economic and non-economic damages
- Keeping in contact with other parties
- Managing settlement negotiations
- Represent you during a trial, if necessary
Your lawyer will also update you about your case status, answer your questions right away, and help you set up appointments for car repair and medical care.
Start Building Your Case With the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
Our Florida personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you recover compensation in your personal injury claim.
Find out more about how our contingency agreements work and what the next steps may be for your case in a free consultation. Reach out to our firm today at 1-800-747-3733 to get started.
