How Much Do Car Accident Lawyers Charge?

Many car accident victims consider taking legal action to recover for their expenses and injuries, but they might hesitate out of concern about the cost of paying lawyer fees. However, cost concerns shouldn’t prevent you from seeking the legal guidance you need. Thanks to free consultations and contingency fee agreements, most personal injury attorneys offer legal services with no upfront costs.

What To Expect at the Initial Consultation

Most car accident attorneys offer a free consultation. This first meeting sets the stage for your potential attorney-client relationship. You’ll get acquainted with the lawyer, discuss your case and legal options, and go over next steps if you retain their legal services.

Initial consultations allow you to ask for a full breakdown of the attorney fee arrangement before committing. And if one lawyer doesn’t work out or declines to take your case, you can meet with more for a second opinion.

Contingency Fee Arrangements

Most car accident lawyers provide their services on a contingency fee basis. In fact, the majority of personal injury attorneys get paid this way. With a standard contingency fee arrangement, your attorney only gets paid if you receive a settlement or verdict for your personal injury claim.

Contingency fee percentages vary from around 20 to 45 percent of the settlement award or verdict. This percentage can fluctuate depending on your state’s laws (which may set contingency fee caps), the law firm’s policies, and the complexity of your case. Generally, most car accident lawyers charge a contingency fee of about 33 percent or one-third.

Contingency Fees With Retainer

In some cases, a car accident attorney will request that you pay a retainer fee at the beginning of your attorney-client relationship. When there is a retainer with a contingency arrangement, the attorney will subtract the amount you paid in your retainer from their contingency fee at the end of your case.

To illustrate, suppose your car accident claim settles for $30,000, and your attorney’s contingency fee is 33 percent. You also paid a retainer fee of $2,000. Your attorney would deduct the retainer fee from their $10,000 contingency fee. This would leave them with $8,000 at the end of your case.

Paying for Additional Legal Fees

Another issue you and your attorney will need to work out is how to pay litigation expenses and fees. These fees can add up throughout your legal claim. They include:

• Expert witness fees
• Filing fees
• Shipping costs
• Court fees
• Deposition fees
• Travel expenses
• Medical record fees

These expenses will typically add up to a few thousand dollars. Ask your attorney about their policy for paying these costs. Many personal injury lawyers pay these costs upfront and deduct them from any payout or verdict you receive.

When you hire an attorney, you will need to sign a contract. This contract should contain a detailed explanation of all legal costs and fees. If you have any questions about this contract, it would be wise to use your initial consultation to ask the attorney to explain it to you.

Flat Fees and Hourly Rates

Flat fee arrangements are uncommon in the personal injury law field. If an attorney proposes this arrangement, they will charge you a set amount for a specific legal task. For example, an attorney might charge a flat fee if you only hire them for a certain duty, such as writing a contract. When you hire an attorney to guide you through your entire car accident claim, it’s usually too difficult for them to estimate an appropriate flat fee. Due to the many unknown factors that arise in personal injury cases, it’s usually more appropriate to use a contingency fee agreement.

Like flat fees, hourly fee agreements are uncommon with personal injury plaintiff’s attorneys. Attorneys who represent insurance companies to defend personal injury cases would be more likely to charge an hourly rate. So, if you want to hire an attorney to recover your losses from a car accident, it’s highly unlikely they would ask you to pay an hourly rate.

Why Hire a Car Accident Attorney?

After experiencing a car accident, you might be too busy recovering from your injuries or caring for loved ones to think about the legal fallout. Unfortunately, medical bills from a car crash can add up quickly. Further, you may have lost wages after taking time off to recuperate. While you focus on other things, an experienced car accident attorney can collect evidence and build your case. They can also save you the hassle of requesting medical records and police reports. They can even hire an expert witness or interview eyewitnesses to your crash if necessary.

Further, you may need legal advice when dealing with adjusters or insurance company attorneys. If you misstate the facts of your case or accidentally assume responsibility, insurance companies can use these statements to reduce your potential settlement offer. An experienced car accident lawyer will help guide you through these conversations and help you negotiate a fair settlement.

Find a Car Accident Lawyer

An attorney’s services might sound expensive, but most personal injury lawyers offer a free case evaluation and a contingency fee arrangement. So, you probably will not have to pay any upfront costs for your legal representation. Visit the Super Lawyers directory to find an experienced car accident attorney in your area.