The cost to hire a car accident lawyer will vary based on the firm with which you choose to work. You can choose, for example, to work with a car accident law firm that operates on contingency. According to the Legal Information Institute (LII), contingency-based firms do not charge their clients for services rendered until or unless the said client receives compensation for the losses endured in a car accident or equivalent incident. This means that, as you are recovering from your accident, you can focus on your medical expenses or any property you need to repair instead of the legal bills that might otherwise come your way.
Contingency-based firms can, however, request a percentage of your offered settlement if a court deems it appropriate for you to receive one.
Contingency Versus Hourly Costs
As mentioned, contingency-based firms accept payment for their services after you have taken your concerns to court or otherwise received a settlement from a liable party. If you choose to work with a contingency-based firm, you can expect to have an attending car accident lawyer request around 33% of said offered settlement, according to the American Bar Association (ABA). This percentage varies based on the resources an attending lawyer needs to undertake your case and whether your case makes it to a courtroom.
You can, however, also choose to work with a lawyer who accepts payment for services up-front. These lawyers can alternatively work on an hourly rate.
Note, though, that these fees and those charged by contingency-based firms can fluctuate based on other in-office fees that our car accident attorneys may need to cover. These can include:
- The cost of hiring an investigator to explore the scene of your accident or to reach out to other parties involved in the accident.
- The cost of bringing on expert witnesses
- The cost of filing an official complaint identifying a liable party and requesting compensation with a court in your area
- Fees related to exhibits that can better express your case to a judge and jury
- The cost of retrieving, printing, faxing, or otherwise handling medical files needed to elaborate on your case
You may want to consider consulting a car accident attorney to better understand how their fees operate.
The Services a Car Accident Lawyer Provides
When you pay the fees for a car accident attorney’s work, you may benefit from the following:
Negotiations with Other Parties on Your Behalf
As mentioned, when discussing the initial cost of collaborating with a car accident attorney, the ABA noted that costs may vary based on whether your case goes to court. It is possible for a liable party to reach out to you before you can take legal action and to offer you a settlement.
You can go over a settlement offered to you outside of court with a car accident lawyer to help you determine whether it addresses all of your needs. If you believe that the offered settlement is insufficient, you can discuss alternative avenues for compensation with an attending attorney and then begin to craft a case.
Assesses Your Accident for Liability and Evidence
In establishing a case, a car accident lawyer can help you better understand what party may be liable for your losses. To do so, however, the said lawyer will need to present evidence of a person’s liability either in a court of law or to another attorney.
Evidence of a person’s fault in an accident can include:
- Environmental features, including skid marks, damaged property, or other losses at the scene of the accident
- Police reports detailing the damage done during the accident
- Medical reports detailing injuries endured by yourself, a loved one, or other parties at the scene of the accident
- Video footage of the accident as it took place, captured by a dashcam, street camera, bystander, or another source
- Eyewitness reports detailing what happened as the accident took place
- Your state’s legislation regarding fault and any insurance claims noting the percentages of fault each party must accept based on their involvement in the accident
Explores Your Potential Avenues for Compensation
A car accident lawyer can also help you understand what compensation you may pursue after suffering losses during an accident. These avenues for compensation can include:
- The cost of medical procedures, past and present, needed to restore your quality of life after a car accident
- The cost of property lost or damaged, including your car and any personal effects you had with you at the time of the accident
- The cost of prescription medications or medical treatment needed to restore your previous quality of life
- Lost wages and opportunities for employment, if applicable
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death and funeral costs, if applicable
A Car Accident Lawyer Can Assist Your Post-Accident Recovery
The team with Ben Crump Law, PLLC wants to make it as simple as possible for you to regain your health and seek compensation for any losses. That is why the firm operates on contingency. You can work with an affiliated car accident lawyer to avoid initial and unexpected legal fees and instead facilitate a healthier recovery. You will, in turn, only receive a bill for services rendered if you receive your compensation.
To learn more about how much it will cost to hire a car accident lawyer, or if you are ready, start building a case against a party you believe to be liable for your losses, call the team with Ben Crump Law, PLLC at (844) 730-0233.
