Personal Injury Accident Attorney Fees are usually paid on a contingency basis. That means your lawyer gets paid out of any settlement that you win. If you don’t win there generally is no fee.
According to professional guidelines, you and your car accident attorney must engage in a written fee agreement at the start of the representation, detailing what portion of the recovery the lawyer would receive. The fee is usually set as a percentage of the recovery. If the case is retried or appealed to a higher court, an extra percentage may be assessed.
Attorneys who work on a contingency basis typically charge somewhere in the range of 25% to 40% of the settlement award. The most common contingency fee is about 33%. These are just general figures and they can vary with individual lawyers and circumstances. Accident attorney fees may be lower in some cases if there is a quick settlement, or higher for lengthy, complicated cases. And sometimes attorneys make arrangements with clients concerning expenses, so make sure all this is clear when you engage a lawyer.
Car Accident Attorney Fees on Contingency
Even though you and your lawyer agree on a contingency arrangement for your accident attorney fees, you may be charged for costs such as court filing fees or witness expenses. If you win, you may be able to deduct these costs from your part of the recovery. Depending on your arrangement, you may have to pay certain expenses unless your contract expressly states otherwise.
The Florida Bar Association provides useful consumer information on accident attorney fees. The FBA explains the contingency fee structure as well as a breakdown of the expenses that an attorney incurs during the course of preparing a personal injury claim. Attorneys spend a great deal of time researching a case, gathering records, interviewing witnesses, and documenting losses on behalf of a client.
It’s important for a client to get as much information as possible from a lawyer at the initial consultation. Your lawyer should explain the fee structure in detail as well as the overall view of the case, including a general time frame and a general strategy.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, consider the vehicle accident attorneys at the Martinez Manglardi personal injury law firm in Orlando. For nearly 35 years, we have been winning personal injury settlements in Central Florida. Call 866-506-3449 to schedule a free case review at one of our convenient Central Florida locations.
