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

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
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.

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How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Cost?

If you have been shopping around for a personal injury lawyer in Indiana, you have probably come across advertisements like, “You Don’t Pay Unless We Win”, or “No Fees if We Don’t Recover for You.” These statements are referring to the law firm’s attorney representation contract, or contingency-fee agreement.

As a recent victim or survivor who was wrongly injured in an accident, it is important to know the difference between personal injury fees and legal costs, including how contingency-fee pricing models work and how much you can expect to pay out of pocket for your impending or potential lawsuit.

Continue reading to learn more about contingency-fee agreements and the additional costs expected in a personal injury lawsuit, as well as who you can trust to obtain the maximum settlement for your Indiana accident case.

Indianapolis Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700
Indianapolis Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

Facts About Law Firm Contingency-Fees

Under a contingency-fee contract, both the lawyer and the client are agreeing upon an arrangement. Basically, a personal injury lawyer is agreeing to represent a client without asking for any money or payment upfront, and the client is agreeing to pay the lawyer a certain percentage of their settlement or judgment they receive from their claim.

Generally, the most common percentage used is 1/3 of the total settlement. But the actual percentage varies among firms and can also depend on when the settlement is recovered. Some law firms even use a sliding scale that increases in percentage as the case progresses. Here is an example:

► 33.33% Fee for claims settled out of court.
► 36% Fee for claims that settle before trial.
► 40% Fee for claims settled at trial by jury.

Although some attorneys charge 50% Fee in certain cases, Craven, Hoover and Blazek, P.C. does not.  The part of a contingency agreement that is “contingent” or conditional, is whether or not the lawyer recovers a settlement for the client (either via settlement or court trial). If no settlement is awarded, the client does not have to pay because there is no settlement to pay from.

Attorney Fees Versus Expenses

Lawyer costs and lawyer fees are separate from one another. “Fees” are the payments made to lawyers for their services, which they only receive if they recover a settlement or win a trial. “Costs” on the other hand, are the expenses incurred throughout the legal process for the purpose of keeping the case going. These include document preparation costs, filing fees, court costs, expert witness imbursements, and more. It all depends on the length and complexity of the claim.

How to Cover All Legal Fees Without Feeling Any Financial Impact

So long as you hire a seasoned and skilled Indianapolis personal injury law firm to represent your case, you will not have to worry about being negatively financially impacted after winning your personal injury lawsuit. A skilled personal injury attorney will ensure that you receive the maximum settlement or verdict for your case. If you hire the right legal team, you should have more than enough compensation to pay your attorney fees and resulting legal costs, plus have a substantial amount of compensation left over.  Hiring the right attorney will allow you to obtain a full and fair settlement or verdict.

The bottom line is you will always be better off hiring an experienced attorney than not hiring one.

Are you looking for skilled personal injury attorney to represent your recent accident case in Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to meet with a seasoned Indianapolis Indiana accident attorney you can trust to recover the settlement you deserve. We represent victims all throughout the state of Indiana and Indiana residents injured in other states.

Related Posts:

Common Fee Arrangements for Legal Representation
Are Personal Injury Lawyers Expensive?
The Most Common Types of Damages Awarded in Personal Injury Lawsuits

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Am I at Risk of Any Consequences if I File a Personal Injury Claim?

Making any sort of claim is a serious process that requires a certain degree of responsibility. When it comes to making a personal injury claim, it is common for people to have an even higher level of concern since the outcome is so vital to their overall recovery and future quality of life. One such concern that seems repetitive among claimants is the question of risk in terms of moving forward with a personal injury claim. People wonder, “Are there long-term consequences?”, “Will I have to make sacrifices?”, and “Is the process worth it?”

The truth is, claimants do not take on any risk, nor face potential consequences, in a personal injury case. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Continue reading to learn why.

Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm 317-881-2700
Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Contingent Fees

One of the most common concerns among personal injury claimants is finances. They often wonder how much it costs to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent them in their case, as well as, how much money they will have to pay out of pocket through the entire process.

The good news here is that most personal injury lawyers, including Craven, Hoover & Blazek, P.C., work on a contingency-fee basis, which means they do not collect any fees upfront, and only do so if they recover a settlement or judgment for their client. So, if your lawyer is unsuccessful at obtaining a settlement or judgment for your claim, you do not have to pay them.

You do, however, have to pay for non-lawyer related costs, such as filing fees, court costs, investigator costs, costs for obtaining medical records, deposition costs, legal research costs, and more. But most often, these expenses are paid after your case is complete. See our blog, “The Costs of a Personal Injury Lawsuit” to learn which additional fees you might be expected to pay in a personal injury lawsuit.

Financial Impacts

Another common concern regarding personal injury claims and settlements is taxes. Many wonder whether or not they have to pay taxes on their settlements, as well as, whether or not the claim itself will have an impact on their credit. See our blog, “Do I Have to Pay Taxes on My Personal Injury Settlement?” to learn about taxation on claim settlements. As for credit, filing any sort of claim or lawsuit will have no negative nor long-term effect on your credit score and borrowing abilities.

Get Advice From an Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for help with personal injury claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers can help you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after suffering a serious injury in an accident. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Schedule your consultation before the statutes of limitations runs out on your claim. We represent injured persons throughout the State of Indiana.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
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