Are Personal Injury Lawyers Expensive?

If you are a recent victim of an accident, do not let your income or cash availability stop you from hiring a personal injury lawyer to represent you in your claim for fair compensation. Regardless of employment, income, and cash availability, anyone can afford to retain the services of a personal injury law firm. Furthermore, virtually all personal injury offices offer free, first-time consultations in order to have your case reviewed by a licensed accident attorney.

Continue reading to learn more about paying for a personal injury lawyer, including how much they collect for attorney fees and most importantly, how to get started as soon as today!

Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Lawyer Fees

Here in the United States, the most common payment arrangements used by law firms include hourly fees, flat fees, fee retainers, and contingency fees. When it comes to personal injury representation, the contingency fee is the most common fee arrangement used. Under a contingency-fee basis, a client does not pay anything upfront in terms of lawyer fees. Instead, clients only have to pay if a settlement is recovered for them. This is a great advantage for clients since they normally do not have the cash available, to pay the attorney fees, especially after a fall when a person is incurring medical bills and may be off work for a time.

Upon recovering a settlement or judgment for a client, a personal injury lawyer will collect a prearranged percentage previously agreed upon in the signing of the client-attorney contract. Commonly, lawyers retain around 1/3rd of the total settlement, but this percentage varies among firms. Always ask your personal injury lawyer about their payment arrangements and price tiers at your initial consultation. In fact, read our blog, “The First Questions You Should Ask About Your Personal Injury” to learn how to prepare for your first meeting.

What You Might Have to Pay For Yourself

Although personal injury lawyers work on a contingent basis, you might be obligated to pay additional fees related to your case. Such fees may include court costs, witness testimonies, expert panelists, filing fees, private investigation costs, background checks, and more. Most law firms will front these costs for a client until the time of settlement, at which point those fees/expenses would be paid out of the total settlement.  Fortunately, these costs usually do not amount to a lot, and tend to stay within an affordable price range; especially when you consider the settlement you are potentially recovering for your total damages and losses that resulted from your accident. 

How to Get Started on a Personal Injury Claim

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free initial consultation with a licensed personal injury attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seasoned lawyers, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek, are motivated to help you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after being injured in a serious accident. Best of all, we only collect lawyer fees if we obtain a settlement for you!

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Depending on the type of legal services and representation needed, legal fees and lawyer costs will vary. These kinds of costs also vary from law firm to law firm, and often times, depend on the complexity of a client’s case. Knowing the types of fees and prices for lawyers is an important part of choosing a legal team that fits your needs. It is encouraged to ask lawyers questions about their fee arrangements and billing practices ahead of time so that you are better-prepared when the final bill comes and you can fully-comprehend its charges. A lawyer should be open and more-than-willing to disclose payment and billing details to potential clients.

Keep in mind that cheaper is not better when it comes to your legal protection. Be prepared to spend a good hunk of money on effective and reputable legal services. A reputable law firm’s attorney prices should be high but reasonable. Continue reading to learn about common billing practices and rates used by attorneys and law firms in general, and then more specifically, personal injury lawyers.

Lawyer Rates

There are several different types of fee arrangements and rates attorneys charge for their services. Some law firms will use just one type of billing method, while another might use multiple in combination. The most common are hourly rates, flat rate fees, retainers, and contingent fees. Here is a basic description of each:

Retainers

A legal retainer is an upfront payment, given in advance, to a lawyer for their services. Retainers are usually accompanied with hourly billing. Paid retainers are generally placed in a special trust account, and then debited as legal fees accrue. It is important to monitor legal retainers and billing statements as representation continues to ensure proper invoicing. Keep in mind that retainers are not refundable, with very few exceptions.

Hourly Fees

Charging by the hour is the most common billing practice used by attorneys and law firms. A lawyer can choose to charge clients by the hour, based on all the hours they put into a client’s case. The hourly-rate is either pre-set or agreed upon between clients and lawyers. Hourly rates will depend on a lawyer’s experience, location, overheads, and more. It is important to retain the legal services of an experienced attorney.

Contingent Fees

Contingent fees are the most common form of billing practice used by personal injury law firms and attorneys. This payment arrangement works by not charging clients any retainers or upfront fees, but collecting up a percentage of whatever monetary settlement they recover for them. Personal injury claims are complex and vary from case to case, so the percentage collected upon judgment will vary among lawsuits.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call 317-881-2700 today and speak with licensed personal injury attorney, Daniel Craven, about filing an accident claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. We offer free initial consultations and never collect attorney fees unless we prevail for you! Call 317-881-2700 for questions about personal injury lawsuits or to schedule a consultation with a seasoned Indianapolis personal injury lawyer you can trust.