If you are facing astronomical medical bills, as well as the loss of work due to an injury from an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may wonder how you would be able to pay an attorney to represent you in court or negotiate on your behalf with an insurance company. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee arrangement, which means that they will offer their services without payment, and their payment will come if they win your case on your behalf.
Understanding Contingency Fees
A contingency fee is when an attorney does not accept any payment until there is a favorable result in the settlement with an insurance company or in a lawsuit with a monetary judgment in the victim’s favor. There is a percentage that the attorney will receive from the settlement or judgment for their services that they only collect if they win your case. This may seem risky for an attorney, but working on a contingency fee basis makes personal injury attorneys work hard on your behalf to settle your claim for the maximum amount possible.
Advantages of Contingency Fees
Contingency fees are just that – “contingent” upon you winning your case in court, or achieving a settlement with an insurance company. With contingency fees, you do not typically need to pay anything upfront with an attorney who is working on your personal injury case. Additionally, if you lose your case, you typically do not have to pay your attorney for work that has been done. You should always consult the specific terms of your attorney-client agreement to determine how your contingency fees will work in your specific case.
Disadvantages of Contingency Fees
For some cases, an attorney may choose not to take a personal injury case if they feel that it does not have a strong chance of succeeding in a court of law or with an insurance company. Lawyers are not required to take every case presented to them. If you believe you have a strong personal injury case, you should always take it to an experienced attorney to see if they would be willing to negotiate on your behalf to receive compensation for your injuries or damages.
Contingency Fee Agreement
You will always be presented with an agreement that includes the contingency fees and agreement specifications. Make sure to always ask any questions you may have to your attorney. An experienced and reliable attorney will always be open and willing to answer all of their clients’ questions.
Contact an Experienced and Reliable Personal Injury Attorney
At Griggs Injury Law, we make sure to handle all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. If you were in any kind of car accident or another kind of personal injury accident and suffered injuries or damage, contact us at (816) 474-0202 to discuss your personal injury case and to ensure that your legal rights are protected. We only collect fees if we win your case.
