There are many things in life where choosing the cheaper option is not always a good idea. This is true when it comes to hiring a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, too. When one firm says they can handle your case with a 25 percent contingency fee and another asks for 33, 40, or even 50 percent, what should you do?
Often, looking a little deeper into the firm’s experience, the small print of their offer, and their track record with similar cases will show you why paying less might not be a good thing.
Can Any Attorney Handle My Personal Injury Case Successfully?
Most people do not have the time, knowledge, or skill to build a compelling case and negotiate a settlement like an established attorney can. This is why people hire attorneys; many people don’t understand what they could recover and, therefore, don’t understand what might be missing from their personal injury claim. Lawyers know what damages to include to ensure you are getting every dollar you deserve.
That said, not all law firms or attorneys are created equal. Some have successfully handled cases like yours for 40 years, while others have only a handful of wins. When you hire a lawyer who manages crash cases and recovers six and seven figures for clients regularly, you can expect to pay a higher percentage.
Knowing how car accident lawyer fees work would make you think that you will receive less money if you choose a lawyer who receives a larger portion of your settlement. However, this is not always the case.
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Personal Injury FAQs
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Thankfully, most people do not deal with serious injuries regularly. However, because they have little experience with insurance claims and legal cases, they do not understand how personal injury lawyers get paid. When you hire an attorney to manage your case, they will likely get paid based on contingency.
When working on a contingency fee basis, a personal injury lawyer handles the case with no upfront fees or other payments. Instead, they receive a percentage of the money they recover for you in the settlement or through litigation.
These percentages are pre-arranged and should be clearly explained before you hire the attorney. There should also be information about whether they will deduct their expenses from your payout or if this is included in their percentage.
Litigating Your Case Will Likely Increase Your Fees
When considering two offers from law firms, you must ensure you are comparing the same thing. For example, imagine one firm is offering a 25 percent fee. They almost always settle cases out of court and rarely litigate personal injury cases.
The other firm has a much larger fee, but only if they litigate the case. They believe your case will likely go to court, and this is a much more expensive process—but they have a strong track record of recovering large payouts for clients through litigation, and some of these cases they mention sound very similar to yours.
It is important to remember that your lawyer will seek money for your intangible losses in addition to your expenses and losses. This can be several times the cost to cover your bills and lost income. Even paying half your settlement would leave enough money to pay for your care and other expenses. The recoverable damages most commonly paid for by a personal injury case include:
- Pain and suffering and other intangible losses
- Medical bills and related costs, current and future
- Care and support costs for long-term injuries
- Income lost while missing work
- Diminished earning capacity for disabling injuries
- Property damage, such as car repairs after a crash
- Miscellaneous expenses
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How Will the Law Firm Help Me Win My Case?
When you hire a law firm to handle your personal injury case, the goal is to hold the liable party accountable and recover compensation for your damages. To this end, your attorney will take several necessary steps to build a compelling case. This case shows the insurance carrier why you are owed the money your attorney is asking the insurer to pay.
From there, your personal injury attorneys will likely engage the insurance adjuster in settlement negotiations. You can focus on your treatment, healing, and well-being while they take care of your claim and settlement.
Generally, hiring a lawyer to manage a personal injury case is a good investment. While you must pay a percentage of the settlement to the firm, the payout often includes damages you would not have included on your own. They also know proven negotiation techniques and the insurance adjuster takes them seriously when they say to make a fair offer, or they will file a lawsuit.
Per O.C.G.A § 9-3-33, you have up to two years to decide, with help from your lawyer, if litigation is necessary in your case. While taking the case to court could allow you to recover compensation well beyond what the insurance company will agree to pay in settlement negotiations, it will also increase the percentage of the payout you will pay your attorney.
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Discuss Your Case With Our Team Today for Free
Bader Scott Injury Lawyers provides free consultations for injury victims in Georgia. We can review your case, explain how our attorneys approach similar cases, and answer your questions. We will be glad to discuss what contingency fee agreements are and explain how they work. We want you to feel confident that you are making the best choice for you when you hire our team.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you negotiate a settlement or litigate your personal injury case. We have someone available to take your call now.
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