When a person has been injured in an accident caused by someone else, they are usually entitled to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party to recover the following damages:

• Medical bills incurred to treat their injuries;
• Lost wages and income due to time off work;
• Compensation for pain and suffering (both physical and emotional); and
• Other associated damages

Sometimes, however, accident victims are reluctant to pursue a claim against the at-fault party because they don’t think they can afford the legal fees associated with pursuing their case.

However, the personal injury lawyers at eAccidents handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That means it will cost you nothing out of pocket to hire us to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Call us today @ 844-400-0123 to arrange a consultation with an experienced California personal injury attorney.

How Personal Injury Lawyers Get Paid

Personal injury attorneys, in general, including those at eAccidents, work on what is called a contingency fee basis. That means the firm doesn’t charge any fees upfront, and no fees are due unless and until there is a recovery on your behalf.

The actual amount of the attorney fee will be agreed upon by you and the attorney in a contract that you will sign at the beginning of the relationship. This fee will usually be a certain percentage of the money recovered on your behalf.

This percentage is usually one-third or 33% of your recovery, but can vary anywhere between 30% and 40%. If the case is unable to be resolved without litigation, it is not uncommon for the percentage of the attorney fee to be higher (even as high as 50%), depending on the circumstances involved and the law firm’s attorney fee schedule.

Most personal injury cases, however, are resolved without having to litigate. That means no lawsuit is filed, and the case does not have to go to court. And again, if the case is lost and there is no money recovered, either through settlements or judgment, there is no fee at all.

The Cost to Hire an Attorney for a Workers’ Compensation Claim The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) governs the administration of workers’ compensation claims, and has set the maximum attorney fee for a California workers’ compensation claim at 15%. So, it’s cheaper to hire a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim, since (by statute) the attorney can only charge you up to 15%, depending on the complexity of the case.

Attorney Fee vs. Costs

Another thing you should be aware of is that there is a difference between the attorney fee and case costs. Most attorneys, like those eAccidents, advance costs for their clients. In other words, the cost of filing a lawsuit, the cost of obtaining medical records, the cost of taking a doctor’s deposition, and other expenses incurred while pursuing the case are paid by the attorney.

Then, if the attorney wins the case, they deduct these costs, along with their attorney fee, from the money received from the defendant or their insurance company. Most attorneys will not ask their clients to pay back costs when they don’t win the case.

The Advantages of a Contingency Fee Arrangement

There are many advantages to a contingency fee arrangement for both you and the attorney you hire. Most importantly, because you don’t have to pay your attorney money upfront, there is less of a financial risk to prevent you from hiring an attorney when you need one.

What’s more, when an attorney gets paid by the hour, pursuing your case can get very expensive for you very quickly. There is also an incentive for the lawyer to do extra work and to work more slowly on your case.

On the other hand, personal injury attorneys who work on a contingency fee basis, like those at eAccidents, never have that incentive. Instead, we want to maximize your recovery because it ultimately benefits us as well. Also, the faster your case is resolved, the faster the at-fault party pays, which is ultimately a win-win situation for everyone.

Hire a Top-notch California Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have any other questions about how much it will cost to hire a personal injury lawyer, or would like to hire a personal injury lawyer from eAccidents, call us today at 844-400-0123 or visit our contact page to arrange a free consultation with a top-notch California personal injury lawyer. We also offer a free, no-obligation consultation.