How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Charge?
What will an injury lawyer cost me?
Georgia Injury attorneys handle cases on what is a called a “contingency fee basis.” That means that the lawyer’s pay is contingent on how much money he or she recovers for you. Most injury lawyers in Georgia charge 33.33% pre-suit and 40% if the case goes into litigation. For example, if you get a $10,000 settlement, your lawyer will get 33 1/3% of that before suit is filed or $3,333.33. If you recover $100,000, the lawyer would receive $33,333.33.
This may seem like a lot of money, but you must always remember that without a lawyer’s services, it is very difficult to recover sums in excess of $10,000.00 from an insurer. If you choose your lawyer wisely, it is money well spent.
In addition to the lawyer’s fee, you will have to pay for case expenses. If the case is settled pre-suit, the expenses are usually less than $500 and are made up mostly of the costs charged by the doctors to produce medical records. In litigation, expenses like court reporter fees, filing fees, expert witness fees and exhibit fees can mount up quickly. I suggest that you ask the lawyer to modify the contract to require you be notified when expenses hit certain levels. Another one of the problems with TV firms is that they charge higher percentage rates, pad your bill with “investigator
fees”, mileage and interest. Read the contract carefully and ask questions.
Remember that the lawyer’s percentage comes out of the gross dollar amount that is recovered. Reimbursement of health insurance, medical bills and expenses all come out of the client’s portion.
Georgia Injury attorneys handle cases on what is a called a “contingency fee basis.” That means that the lawyer’s pay is contingent on how much money he or she recovers for you. Most injury lawyers in Georgia charge 33.33% pre-suit and 40% if the case goes into litigation. For example, if you get a $10,000 settlement, your lawyer will get 33 1/3% of that before suit is filed or $3,333.33. If you recover $100,000, the lawyer would receive $33,333.33.
This may seem like a lot of money, but you must always remember that without a lawyer’s services, it is very difficult to recover sums in excess of $10,000.00 from an insurer. If you choose your lawyer wisely, it is money well spent.In addition to the lawyer’s fee, you will have to pay for case expenses. If the case is settled pre-suit, the expenses are usually less than $500 and are made up mostly of the costs charged by the doctors to produce medical records. In litigation, expenses like court reporter fees, filing fees, expert witness fees and exhibit fees can mount up quickly. I suggest that you ask the lawyer to modify the contract to require you be notified when expenses hit certain levels. Another one of the problems with TV firms is that they charge higher percentage rates, pad your bill with “investigator
fees”, mileage and interest. Read the contract carefully and ask questions.
Remember that the lawyer’s percentage comes out of the gross dollar amount that is recovered. Reimbursement of health insurance, medical bills and expenses all come out of the client’s portion.