Decoding Legal Fees: The Normal Charges for Your Personal Injury Lawyer

Posted on December 22, 2023 by admin

Personal injury cases can be daunting, especially when you’re grappling with recovery and legal complexities simultaneously. One of the key concerns for many is understanding legal fees and the maximum cut an Indiana personal injury attorney can take from your settlement. Navigating through the labyrinth of legalese can indeed be quite challenging.

In this blog post, let us help you decode the intricacies of legal fees, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of what you can expect when hiring a personal injury lawyer in Indiana. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge, ensuring you make informed decisions during this challenging time.

Call 317-881-2700 to Speak With Our Indianapolis Personal Injury Legal Team

How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge for Their Services?

Before we delve into the specifics, it’s crucial to understand how accident lawyers typically charge for their services. In Indiana, personal injury attorneys primarily work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they receive compensation only if they win your case. If they lose, you won’t owe them any legal fees. In other words, their payment is contingent on the outcome of your case.

What Percentage Do Accident Lawyers Charge in Indiana?

According to the American Bar Association, contingency fees for personal injury cases typically range from 33% to 40% of the total settlement amount. However, these percentages may vary based on individual state laws and the specifics of your case.

Other Factors That May Affect Legal Fees

Although a 33.3% attorney fee is normal , there may be other factors that could influence legal fees in personal injury cases. These include the complexity of your case, the evidence available, and the amount of time and resources required to document a strong case. Your attorney may also take into account other expenses incurred during the legal process, such as court fees, expert witness fees, or medical record retrieval costs. Sometimes attorneys will charge up to 40% once trial preparation has begun because of the vast increase in time and expense preparing for trial.

Are There Any Additional Fees You Should Be Aware Of?

Besides contingency fees, there may be other fees associated with such cases. AS just mentioned, these can include filing fees, initial consultation charges, and costs for obtaining medical records, expert reports, deposition testimony, or police reports. However, reputable attorneys will typically cover these costs upfront and deduct them from your settlement amount once your case is resolved, again depending on the case.

Why the Cost of a Personal Injury Attorney is Worth It

It’s natural to have concerns about legal fees, but hiring a personal injury lawyer can significantly benefit your case and will increase the final amount you receive in pocket. Experienced attorneys have the knowledge and resources to navigate complicated legal procedures, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for your rights while you focus on your recovery. Additionally, most accident lawyers offer free consultations where they can evaluate your case’s merits and advise you on the best course of action, as we do.

Conclusion

As an accident victim in Indiana, it’s crucial to understand the normal attorney fees that you should be charged. Knowing your rights and knowing what a fair contingency fee is is critical to ensuring that you receive just compensation for your injuries. With this blog post, we hope to have provided you with a better understanding of legal fees in personal injury cases and empowered you to make informed decisions when hiring a civil litigator. Remember, knowledge is power, and we’re here to support you throughout this challenging process.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to seek legal help to protect your rights. Contact Craven, Hoover & Blazek, P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free initial case evaluation with a seasoned personal injury lawyer in Indianapolis, today. Meet with us over the phone, video conference, or in person at our Indy office. We can also meet you at your inpatient medical treatment center if necessary.

What You Need to Know About Personal Injury Attorney Fees

Posted on May 5, 2023 by admin

Personal injury attorneys provide essential legal services to those who have been injured due to the negligence of another party. They help victims seek full and fair compensation for their losses and suffering, often in the form of a settlement or jury verdict. But with any legal service comes fees, and personal injury lawyers are no different. In this blog post, we will discuss what you need to know about personal injury attorney fees so that you can make an informed decision when hiring representation for your civil claim. We will cover topics such as contingency fees, how much a lawyer might charge for an initial consultation, and more.

So, if you’re considering filing a personal injury claim but don’t know where to start when it comes to finding an attorney and understanding their fee structure, then keep reading!

Call 317-881-2700 to Speak With a Personal Injury Attorney in Indianapolis

Types of Fees You Might Owe to Your Personal Injury Attorney

Contingency Fees

One of the most common payment structures used by personal injury law firms is a contingency fee arrangement. This means that the firm will only collect payment if they successfully win your case and obtain monetary compensation for you. Depending on the firm, this percentage could range anywhere from 33.33 to 40 percent of the total money recovered in your claim. It’s important to remember that not all accident law firms work on a contingency fee basis, so it’s always best to check with them beforehand or during your consultation. For example, our law firm charges 33.33% for attorney fees if the case is settled and 40% if the case goes to trial. The increase in fees is due to the increase in work in actually trying the case. Some attorneys charge 40% for settlement and 50% for trial but we do not.

Case Evaluations

Another factor that can affect personal injury law firm fees is how much they charge for an initial consultation. Many accident attorneys provide first-time consultations for free, while others may charge a flat fee or hourly rate. Regardless of what you decide to do, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the attorney’s fee structure before committing to anything binding. Our law firm offers a free initial consultation.

Fees Associated with Filing a Lawsuit

Finally, personal injury lawyers might also bill you for certain expenses related to your case. These expenses could include filing fees, deposition fees, charges for expert witnesses or investigatory teams, copies of records or reports, legal research fees, basic office expenses, and other costs. If there are additional costs throughout the legal process, it is important to make sure that you understand how and why your personal injury attorney has been authorized to cover them. Knowing upfront what outlying costs might be associated with your case is key to getting started on the right path toward financial justice. Our law firm normally pays for these expenses up front so our client does not have to come up with the money initially and then we reimburse ourselves out of the settlement or verdict amount. If we do not obtain a recovery we do not recover for the expenses.

There is No Need to Worry About Fees When You Hire the Right Injury Lawyers

Overall, understanding personal injury lawyer fees is an essential part of making an informed decision when hiring legal representation for a tort claim or lawsuit. With so many accident law firms out there competing for business, it is important to choose the right litigators. Doing your research and knowing what fees you should expect can help you make the best decision for your case.

Get Started on Your Case Without Any Upfront Fees!

Here at the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C., we understand that finances can often present a stressful obstacle when it comes to pursuing a legal claim, especially when someone may be off work due to their injuries and having little income coming in. That’s why we operate on a contingency fee basis; that means you’ll never owe us anything unless we achieve a settlement for you. Moreover, if you’d like to discuss the circumstances of your case with seasoned personal injury attorneys, but without any financial responsibility, then worry not – our consultations are offered completely free of charge. We can assist in evaluating the validity of your claim and guide you through the legal process, providing support from beginning to end.

So, if you’re in need of legal representation and would like to discuss what way forward is best for you, get in touch today and let us know how we can help. Contact us to speak with a qualified Indianapolis personal injury attorney about your case. We represent victims all throughout the state, as well as Indiana residents injured in other states and residents of other states injured in Indiana.

Facts About Personal Injury Contingency Fee Agreements

Posted on October 25, 2022 by admin

A contingency fee agreement is an arrangement between a lawyer and a client in which the lawyer agrees to represent the client in a legal matter, but only charges a fee if they are successful in getting compensation for the client. If the lawyer is not successful, then they do not get paid. Continue below to learn some common advantages of entering a contingency fee agreement.

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Top 6 Advantages of a Contingency Fee Agreement

There are many benefits to using a contingency fee agreement when hiring a personal injury lawyer. First, it allows you to hire a lawyer without having to pay any upfront fees. Given injury clients are incurring medical bills and other unexpected expenses and may not be able to work because of their injuries, thus diminishing the money a client has coming into their household, this is the main advantage.

Second, it gives the lawyer an incentive to work hard on your case, since their fee is contingent on them getting you compensation. The more money the attorney obtains for you, the more money the attorney will also receive for an attorney fee.

Third, contingency fee agreements can help to level the playing field between individuals and the negligent party’s insurance company. All insurance companies are large and they have a team of lawyers working on their insured’s behalf because the insurance company has to pay any verdict against their insured. With a contingency fee agreement, you can level the playing field by hiring your own lawyer to work on your behalf.

Fourth, contingency fee agreements can help to ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for your injuries. With a contingency fee agreement, the lawyer is only paid if they are successful in getting you compensation, which gives them an incentive to fight for the highest possible amount.

Fifth, contingency fee agreements can help to protect you from having to pay your lawyer’s fees if the case is unsuccessful.

Sixth, in a contingency fee arrangement, the attorney usually pays for most, if not all, of the expenses incurred in pursuing the case. These expenses include charges from the medical providers to obtain medical records, charges from law enforcement to obtain dash camera and body camera footage and police report, copying and filing fee charges, expert witness fees, etc… When the case settles or a verdict is obtained, the attorney is reimbursed those expense fees. If no settlement or verdict is obtained, the attorney is usually not reimbursed for those expenses, depending upon the exact agreement with the client. As such, the attorney is also fronting the expense money necessary to pursue the case which a client usually cannot do given their unexpected lost wages and medical bills.

If you have been injured in an accident and are considering hiring an Indianapolis IN personal injury lawyer, you should consider using a contingency fee agreement. There are many benefits to using this type of arrangement. You should discuss the contingency fee agreement with a personal injury lawyer before making a decision so any questions you have can be answered.

Are you looking for a trusted civil litigator in Indiana who can give you the best advice regarding your recent wrongful death, wrongful injury and/or car accident or fall accident? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to arrange a free case evaluation with a seasoned personal injury attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. We represent clients all throughout the state and Indiana residents injured in other states.

Can I Find a Pro Bono Personal Injury Law Firm?

Posted on April 19, 2019 by admin

When facing criminal charges, the Indiana judicial system gives most defendants the choice of accepting a public defender, free of charge. In contrast, civil litigation does not offer free counsel under law, which includes personal injury cases. However, this does not mean you, as a victim of a negligent accident, would have to pay a lump sum of cash upfront for personal injury lawyer services.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about paying for accident representation in Indiana, including which Indianapolis personal injury law firm to trust with your claim.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Common Law Firm Payment Arrangements

Common payment arrangements used by lawyers include flat rates, hourly rates, retainers, and contingent fees. Flat rate fees are generally arranged for basic and simple legal services, like divorces and wills. Hourly fees are the most common payment arrangement for lawyers, and vary in price depending on the lawyer’s experience; they can be anywhere from $50 to $1,000 per hour or more, however, it varies among law firms. Retainers are used for certain cases and charged upfront before services are rendered. As clients are billed, the amount is deducted from the retainer as the case proceeds.

Contingency Fee Basis

When you begin your search for a personal injury law firm, you will likely come across the phrase, “contingency-fee basis”, which is very important to understand when setting aside a budget for a potential lawsuit. Working on contingent basically means that the lawyers do not get paid unless they recover a settlement for you. Most law firms that practice personal injury law use this pricing model. Lawyers who work on contingency will not require any upfront lawyer fees, however, you will be responsible for paying other fees, such as court costs, filing fees, and similar pecuniary obligations. However, the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. will not require up front payment of fees, court costs, etc… See our blog, “How Much Does it Cost to Hire an Accident Lawyer?” to learn more.

Paying Your Personal Injury Lawyer

When a personal injury lawyer successfully recovers a settlement, the client will then owe them for their services. The way a law firm collects their fees will vary, but most often, a pre-determined percentage is deducted from the final settlement as their payment. On contingency, if a law firm does not recover a settlement or judgment for a client, there are no attorney fees, with the exception being if the attorney obtained an offer and then the client tried to settle the case without their attorney. Normally, accident lawyers collect one third of the settlement recovered, but again, this can vary depending on the law firm and the type the case.

Where Can I Find a Contingency Fee Personal Injury Lawyer in Indiana?

Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for personal injury claims in Indianapolis and throughout Indiana. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we are successful with your claim. Call our office today to determine your eligibility for personal injury compensation in Indiana.

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