Is it Affordable to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

Posted on March 3, 2022 by admin

When a person is wrongfully injured in an accident, life can abruptly change for them and their loved ones. Being wrongfully and seriously hurt by another’s negligence is traumatic, overwhelming, painful, challenging, frustrating, and even depressing. When tragedies like this strike, victims need a reputable personal injury attorney on their side who will fight for their rights to a full and fair accident settlement check. Unfortunately, many people choose to not pursue a lawsuit or claim against negligent parties because they believe they cannot afford proper legal counsel. This is not the case.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about the costs associated with hiring a personal injury lawyer, plus where to find compassionate and great legal representation in Indiana.

Indiana Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Legal Services are Affordable For Everyone

When someone is seriously hurt in an accident because of another person or entity’s negligence, they are entitled to compensation for their damages. When a victim has less fault in an accident they were injured in than the party who caused the accident and acted negligently, an Indianapolis personal injury l aw firm can prove in a court of law that the victim is owed fair remuneration for the damages. When it comes to paying for an attorney to represent you in a personal injury claim, you don’t have to worry about upfront fees or costs.

Accident Lawyer Fees are Contingent

Most personal injury firms do not collect attorney fees unless they recover a settlement or verdict for you in your case. So, their payment is contingent on whether they are successful with your case. Such lawyer fees are referred to as contingency fees. Firms that use this payment model generally offer free initial consultations, allowing them to discuss a victim’s case without obligating the potential client to pay out of pocket.

Upon consulting, a personal injury lawyer will assess a victim’s claim and determine if they are eligible to pursue legal action and recover compensation through a settlement or verdict. If they believe their client is entitled to recompense, they will take on their case and represent them for free until they can win them full and fair compensation for their damages.

Common Personal Injury Claim Damages

Damages to be recovered in a personal injury case can vary depending on the nature of the accident, type of injury, extent of injury, and many other factors. However, common personal injury damages awarded to victims and survivors of wrongfully killed victims include lost wages, medical expenses, hospital bills, pain, suffering, mental anguish, prolonged rehabilitation, loss of consortium, and much more. An Indiana personal injury attorney can make it simple for victims to pursue an accident claim or lawsuit, without the injured client risking thousands of their own dollars in pursuing and proving the case. We at Craven, Hoover & Blazek, P.C. will pay for the investigation of the case, pay for medical records, photos, videos, doctor reports, depositions, etc… and then when the case is resolved, we simply get reimbursed for those expenses.

How to Get Started

If you have asked yourself if you can afford an Indianapolis IN accident lawyer, the answer is, “yes!” Anyone, no matter their level of income, cash availability, or savings, can afford a personal injury attorney if they have a valid claim and case. They can even have their claim examined by a licensed attorney for free, to determine if they have a valid claim. All you must do is find a trusted Indiana law firm specializing in personal injury cases and contact them for a free case evaluation.

Are you looking for a skilled and qualified personal injury lawyer to represent you in your Indiana-based accident claim? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule your free case review with a licensed accident attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. We represent clients throughout the State of Indiana. Our personal injury attorneys can hold consultations over phone or video, or in person at our office. We represent injured persons and the survivors of those wrongfully killed throughout the state of Indiana.

Local Indianapolis Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700 — Schedule a Free Consultation!

Are Personal Injury Lawyers Expensive?

Posted on August 9, 2019 by admin

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

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 1/3^rd 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

Common Fee Arrangements for Legal Representation

Posted on September 5, 2017 by admin

Understanding the framework for lawyer fees is an important part of preparing for legal representation. Learn how many lawyers charge for their services, and what to expect in terms of total out-of-pocket costs.

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317-881-2700

There are several different areas of law, both on state and federal levels. Accordingly, there are several different types of legal counselors who specialize in a particular type of practice. For instance, there are personal injury lawyers, divorce lawyers, criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, bankruptcy lawyers, immigration lawyers, and much more. Depending on the industry and the private preferences of the law firm, the type of fee arrangement they offer clients will vary.

Continue reading to learn some of the most common fee arrangements for lawyers, and how much your case will likely cost you.

Lawyers’ Fees

Contingency Fees. This is a common fee arrangement used among personal injury law firms. Under a contingency-fee basis, a client does not pay anything upfront in terms of lawyers’ fees. They may, however, have to pay for court and lawsuit related fees, such as court costs, witness testimonies, expert panelists, filing fees, and more. As for paying the lawyers, clients only have to pay if a settlement is recovered for them. If a settlement is recovered, the personal injury lawyers will collect a set percentage (usually 1/3 of total amount) that was previously agreed upon in the contract signed by the client. The larger the settlement, the more money the law firm makes.

Hourly Fees. This is the most common fee arrangement used among lawyers in most other fields of law. Under an hourly fee arrangement, clients agree upon an hourly rate presented by the lawyer at their initial consultation. From there, any time and work that the lawyer puts into the case is billed to the client. This can include phone calls, emails, document filing, and more. This is a very expensive fee arrangement, with common rates ranging between $200 and $300 per hour.

Flat Fees. Flat rate fees are generally used by law firms that deal with simple and direct cases. This may include divorce lawyers, bankruptcy lawyers, and lawyers who deal in wills, notaries, and similar legal services. In addition to the flat fee charged by the lawyer, clients may also be responsible for paying filing fees, court costs, and any other related fees surrounding their claim.

Retainers. Retainers are not necessarily a fee arrangement, but more so an additional fee responsibility to a fee arrangement. Many lawyers who charge hourly or flat rate fees may ask clients to pay a retainer as well. This is an upfront payment made to the lawyer as a sign of good faith that the clients are capable and willing to pay. They are also used to help jump start the financing of the case, including witnesses, investigations, and more. Lawyers often put retainers in a special trust account, and deduct their costs from them as they work on the case. Retainers are nonrefundable unless a court finds a retainer “unreasonable.”

Free Legal Representation

If a person is charged with a misdemeanor crime punishable by jail time, or a felony offense, the 6th Amendment in the United States Constitution guarantees the right to legal assistance. So if a defendant cannot afford to hire a lawyer, a court will provide one for them, free of charge. These lawyers are licensed and certified counselors referred to as public defenders. The state pays for the public defense, but defendants will still be responsible for paying additional court costs and legal fees, especially of they are convicted.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call The Law office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers are eager to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve. Not only does our law firm offer free consultations, we never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you! Call 317-881-2700 to schedule a time with a licensed Indianapolis accident attorney, today.

Craven, Hoover, & Blazek P.C.

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