Personal Injury Lawyer – How to Choose the Right Lawyer
If you have been injured , but are not sure whether you need to talk to an attorney because you fear paying for litigation, you may be surprised to find out that most personal injury lawyers will review your case without any, or limited upfront fees.
No Fee First Meeting
Most personal injury lawyers charge no fees for the initial meeting, or consultation. This may give you an chance to meet with the lawyer, explain the situation, and determine his opinion as to whether or not you have a valid case. Although you may want to know how much your claim is “worth”, most lawyers won’t give you a value on the claim, because so many things are highly unpredictable.
What is a Contingent Fee?
Most personal injury attorneys will generally take a valid matter on a contingency fee basis. What this means, is that you do not need to come up with any money for the attorney in advance. The attorney will collect his or her fees from the faulty party, or their insurance carrier, only when he gains any money for the client. If you do not prevail in your case, you won’t owe any attorney fees. If you do agree to a settlement or are granted court ordered damages, the attorney then charges a percentage of the overall award for legal compensation. The specific amount you will pay will generally vary among attorneys, and may be regulated in many jurisdictions, but generally you will be charged anywhere from 1/3 (33.3%) to 40% for legal fees, should you recover any award.
Legal Expenses
Under the law, as well as the legal code of ethics, all attorneys must charge you for all expenses incurred while handling your matter. Such expenses could include: law enforcement reports, medical reports, court stenographer expenses, and much more. Once again, lawyers differ as to how they are reimbursed for these costs. Some may pay them as they are billed, and then deduct them from your award. Others will require that you pay these costs periodically as the matter proceeds.
Each attorney must have a client – attorney agreement which must spell out both sides rights and responsibilities. Please be sure that you carefully review the agreement before you retain any lawyer.
Harry S. Bernstein has been representing personal injury clients and workers compensation claimants as an experienced Cleveland, Ohio attorney for twenty years. Be sure to visit our Cleveland, Ohio attorney site for more information on this topic.
