You were injured in Cedar Rapids in an accident. The accident happened because someone was reckless and negligent and completely ignored their duty of care. You are now interested in taking legal action because you believe that your injuries and subsequent losses were preventable. Filing a personal injury lawsuit can be more complex than you think. The other party would obviously try to deny their fault, and if there is insurance involved, you already know that these companies don’t care for anyone. Your best bet is to hire a Cedar Rapids personal injury lawyer to understand where you stand with your claim. If you are in financial distress and wondering whether you can afford an attorney, here’s an overview of the costs.
The contingency arrangement
When you hire a family lawyer for your divorce or a criminal lawyer for a DUI charge, you usually pay them for each hour of work. A flat fee often replaces the hourly rate if the lawyer believes that your case is a simple one and doesn’t involve much work. That’s not the case with injury lawyers. They work on a contingency arrangement. In other words, if you win, the lawyer gets their fee. However, if the lawyer is unable to fetch you a financial settlement, there would be no fee.
How much is the contingency fee?
For most personal injury cases, the norm is 33% of the final settlement. Many injury lawyers may charge more, depending on the nature of your case and their expertise. At the max, you can expect to pay 40% as the highest percentage to the attorney.
Other expenses
Fighting a personal injury case requires time and effort, and therefore, your lawyer will have to spend on other things too. This includes the cost of investigating the accident, hiring medical and accident reconstruction experts, court fees, and so on. As a client, you are expected to pay for these things, and your lawyer may help you before you get paid. Because these costs take away a part of your settlement, it is best to get an estimate. Also, ask the lawyer if you are expected to pay right away so that you can gather relevant information.
Final word
Hiring an injury lawyer for your case is easy with the contingency fee. Also, most lawyers would be happy to review your case for free, and you can ask relevant case questions.
