These Are the Car Accident Lawyer Fees to Expect

Car accidents don’t have to be expensive. A car accident may result in costly insurance expenses, repairs, or even total car replacement, but car accident lawyer fees don’t have to be as costly.

If you want to find out how much lawyer fees for car accidents will cost you, then read on.

A Guide to Car Accident Lawyer Fees

In general, lawyers aren’t exactly known for their affordability. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all attorneys are pricey. If you take a look at how much they charge for car accident claims, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Although lawyer fees vary by accident, there’s some method to the madness.

For one, car accident lawyers start with contingency fees. These fees help you (the client) by ensuring that you don’t have to pay your lawyer until they recover money. In that case, the lawyer makes money off of what the judge or jury awards, or they make a percentage of the claim’s settlement.

You’re probably now wondering, “How much are contingency fees?” On average, the contingency fee is between 33.3% to 40% of the settlement, partly depending on the quality of the lawyer’s work.

In rare cases, lawyers may charge a flat fee or collect a retainer. The flat fee is one set payment, while a retainer consists of an upfront charge followed by a contingency fee at the case’s conclusion.

There can be other fees, such as photocopying fees, filing fees, postage fees, investigator fees, and more.

How to Minimize Fees

You minimize car accident lawyer fees by finding the best deal you can find on a lawyer.

Insurers are not on your team, so they will do everything in their power to convince you that you deserve a lower settlement than you actually deserve. Look for a well-qualified, compassionate lawyer who will fight like a bulldog to maximize your settlement.

As a rule of thumb, you’ll need a car accident lawyer. The more serious your case and your injuries, the more you’ll need one. In these cases, there’s more money on the table, so you stand to lose more if you lose the case, which is more likely if you don’t have a lawyer.

If and when your lawyer settles your claim, they will get your settlement check. Remember, that check allows them to calculate the percentage that constitutes their contingency fee.

At that point, your lawyer should notify you that they received the settlement check. They should then send you an itemized list detailing their fees. Those fees will be deducted, then you will be paid the (hopefully large) sum that’s left over in the settlement.

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Get in an Accident; Lawyer Up

As you can see, car accident lawyer fees follow a general structure in most cases. Although it won’t always produce the exact same dollar amount for your settlement, it will provide predictability and peace of mind following an accident.

For more helpful life advice, browse the Money section of the site.