What Types of Fees do Car Accident Attorneys Charge
An accident is among the most dreaded situations any road user would want to get involved in. The aftermath of a road crash can be stressful and incredibly frustrating, more so if you happen to be injured in the incident. ‘Fortunately’, laws exist that can help you recover the physical, emotional, and financial damages suffered– through an accident attorney.
But lawyers can be expensive depending on whom you go for help. Before hiring a lawyer to help you navigate a car accident claim or lawsuit, it is incredibly crucial to understand the kinds of fees you need to pay, alongside the payment plan. This can help you avoid additional stress on top of the financial suffering you could already be enduring.
Read on for more on accident attorney fees, including the various types you might come across in your search for a good lawyer.
Contact A Specialized Attorney
For starters, not all attorneys will be appropriate in handling a personal injury claim and in this case, a car accident case. There are so many types of lawyers in legal jurisdictions, including criminal law, business law, matrimonial law, tax law, personal injury law… and the list is endless! An accident attorney is the best professional to approach when you’ve been involved in a car crash and want to seek compensation. They’ll help determine who is liable for the car crash you suffered and tell you if you have a case to pursue.
With that out of the way, the attorney fees will be dependent on a plethora of factors. They may depend on the nature and circumstances surrounding the accident… at the very least. Specialized attorneys with vast experience in representing auto accident victims sometimes even have several payment structures so you can choose the best one for your needs.
Common Types of Accident Attorney Fees
In a nutshell, the most common types of accident attorney fees include:
- Contingency fees
- Flat rate
- Hourly rate
- Retainer fees
Many lawyers including car accident attorneys typically charge an hourly fee. However, the contingency fee arrangement is becoming increasingly popular in many jurisdictions, in which a previously agreed percentage of your total settlement or award is deducted to pay the lawyer.
As the team of Phoenix car accident lawyers from Hutzler Law in Arizona assert, this arrangement saves you from the worry of raising attorney fees, and you only pay if and when a settlement or compensation is awarded.
Flat fees are typically based on the type of case, such as a straightforward car accident case with minimal damages.
Finally, some attorneys may also demand a certain payment from you in advance, usually called the retainer fee. This is however rare and often limited to complex car accident cases. The fee is placed in a trust, from which the attorney deducts certain amounts on costs incurred during representation on an ongoing basis.
Court Costs
Court costs will usually vary depending on the court’s jurisdiction and the type of case presented among other factors. While some fees or costs may be waived in some court jurisdictions, it’s important to have the overall costs estimated by your personal injury attorney.
Personal injury attorneys may be required to pay upfront court costs. This will be in your best interests as such payments might go a long way toward ensuring that the court proceedings go smoothly. Needless to mention is the fact that you’ll need to have the backup of key components to be involved in your case to help make your case stronger. Among the costs that your attorney might have to foot include:
- Court filing fees
- Travel expenses
- Expert witness fees
- Deposition costs
- Court reporter fees
Some of these are all the more reasons an attorney might demand a retainer fee upfront.
On-The-Table Discussions
Before taking the case, a personal injury attorney will be on the table to handle the fee issues to help you better understand the costs that will be involved in your case. This is an approach that could bring you to an understanding of the intricate parts surrounding your case.
To ensure that you are on the same page, they might require that you sign agreement documents. This is where things could get serious. Read the fine print of the documents before signing on the dotted lines as that could weigh in on the overall settlement figure.
Free Initial Consultations
During a free initial consultation, your attorney will lend you a listening ear. At this point, they’ll deduct the specifics that could help build a stronger case. It’s at this stage that they’ll determine the worth of your case.
At this stage, there are certain things that your attorney might require. Such might include full documentation of the accident, your doctor’s report, witness information, car registration numbers, and the other motorist’s details.
They’ll go ahead and ask questions that when answered appropriately, could work in determining the at-fault party as well as in helping gather evidence. By all means, take advantage of personal injury attorneys or law firms who offer a free initial consultation. Well, it doesn’t cost anything more than your time and effort.
Getting The Best Deals Out of An Attorney’s Fee
While you might be inclined to handle a car accident case on your own, it’s best that you leave it to the legal pros. An attorney with skills in negotiating for the best settlement offer will at best offset the cost of hiring them. In addition to this, some attorneys may offer a free initial consultation, which could be a great opportunity to get an idea of your legal options and the cost of hiring them. These are surefire ideas for lowering the overall costs of hiring a car accident attorney.
Determining what a personal injury attorney will charge you in a car accident claim or lawsuit can be a bit daunting. This, considering that the specifics surrounding each case can be different, laws vary, and law firm competition is different from one jurisdiction to the next. Nonetheless, the above few pointers should help point you in the right direction on what to expect regarding attorney fees when dealing with a car crash case.