Most people today are aware that a personal injury lawyer doesn’t charge anything upfront. Thanks to the number of commercials on television today, you’re constantly reminded of this fact. However, what an East Point personal injury attorney doesn’t explain is how they are paid.
Our team of East Point personal injury attorneys prefer to be upfront and honest with our new clients. It is true that you will enjoy a free, initial consultation. This gives you a chance to meet with an experienced attorney without having to pay for it. You can ask any questions you may have. Your lawyer can even give you an idea of what your case is worth.
Once you decide to retain your East Point personal injury attorney, they can get working on your case. You won’t pay anything until your case wins. At that point, your attorney will receive a percentage of your total settlement. Here, we’ll discuss how your attorney is paid. We’ll also explain how a contingency works.
All of Our Clients Enjoy a Free, Initial Consultation
One of the great things about personal injury attorneys in East Point is that they offer their new clients a free consultation. You can come in for a half hour and discuss your case to an experienced attorney. They can look to see if your case has merit. If so, they’ll dig a little deeper to see how much your claim may be worth.
If our associates believe your case has value, they may offer to represent you. This means they’ll help with your insurance claim and, if need be, file any appeals on your behalf. If this doesn’t work, they’ll file a personal injury lawsuit against the defendant or defendants. They’ll make sure all possible defendants are named since you are legally required to name them in your initial complaint.
Once the complaint is filed, they’ll continue with the legal process. The ultimate goal is to settle your case out of court. This is the fastest and least expensive way to resolve the matter.
How Can East Point Personal Injury Attorneys Afford to Work for Free?
Some accident victims assume they’ll have to pay their personal injury attorney in East Point upfront for their services. This is how other types of attorneys work. For example, if you hire a divorce attorney, you’ll be expected to pay a hefty retainer upfront. As your case moves on, you’ll have to pay any additional costs.
With personal injury cases, it works quite differently. You don’t have to pay any retainer upfront. Nor do you pay additional fees along the way. Instead, you don’t pay your lawyer anything until your case settles or is resolved at trial. When this happens, you’ll have to pay your attorney a certain percentage of your settlement proceeds.
Depending on the attorney, this percentage can be anywhere from 30-40%. Typically, East Point personal injury attorneys charge 1/3 of your settlement. However, if your case goes to trial, this rate increases to 40%. There is good reason for this, and we will explain below. Surprisingly, both parties typically want to settle rather than go to trial. It is more cost effective, and it means the case will be resolved more quickly.
Why Will Your East Point Personal Injury Attorney Charge More if Your Case Goes to Trial?
As mentioned earlier, the best-case scenario is that your case settles out of court. Trials are very expensive. They are also time consuming. Your attorney, as well as the defendant’s attorney, would prefer to settle the matter rather than go to trial.
If your attorney must prepare for trial, they will not be able to handle other cases. This means they will lose potential income since they must dedicate additional time preparing for trial. At the same time, they will be investing additional valuable hours in the hopes that you win. If by chance you lose at trial, your attorney is paid nothing. This is a big risk for them to take.
The other reason it costs more to go to trial is that your lawyer has to pay for things like expert witnesses, accident reconstruction specialists, and other experts. They will likely have to pay for a court reporter in case of a deposition. These things add up. It would make more sense for your attorney to settle the case. This way, both of you end up with more money in the end.
How is Your Personal Injury Attorney in East Point Paid?
When your lawsuit settles – or you win at trial – your attorney will be paid their contingency fee first. After they are paid, any outstanding bills related to your case must be paid. This includes things like medical bills or mechanic’s invoices. Once they have all been paid in full, you will receive the remainder. It makes more sense for you to settle because the amount taken out of your settlement for costs will be much lower.
Contact a Seasoned Personal Injury Attorney in East Point, Georgia
If you’ve recently been injured in an accident, you can call our office and schedule your free, initial consultation. This first meeting gives you a chance to pick the brains of a legal professional. It also gives your new East Point personal injury attorney a chance to review your case.
If your attorney feels your claim has merit, they may offer to handle it for you. If you decide to move forward, you’ll sign your contingency agreement. From this point forward, your attorney will cover the costs of your case. Once your case settles, they will be paid the agreed upon contingency fee. Until then, you won’t have to pay a dime out of pocket.
Call today and find a date and time that works best for you to meet with one of our personal injury attorneys in East Point. If need be, we can even conduct the initial consultation via Skype or Zoom.
