If you’ve been injured in an accident, you can bring a personal injury lawsuit to recover for your accident-related damages.
While there is no legal requirement that you have an attorney represent you, most accident victims choose to retain an experienced Alabama personal injury lawyer.
Not only can a lawyer make the recovery process much smoother, but they can also increase the overall chance of success.
In fact, a 2014 study by the Insurance Resource Council found that accident victims who worked with an attorney recovered 3.5 times more in damages than those who pursued the claim on their own.
In the wake of a serious accident, between the missed work and medical bills, money can be tight. Understandably, one of the most common questions accident victims have is how they will afford an attorney.
The good news is that many Alabama personal injury lawyers take cases on a contingency basis. If you are wondering, What is a contingency lawyer? read on to learn more.
What Is a Contingency Lawyer in Alabama?
A contingency lawyer is an attorney who takes a client’s case for no money upfront. Instead, the lawyer agrees to charge a fee only if they can help the client recover damages, either through a settlement offer or a favorable jury verdict.
In some cases, the lawyer agrees to cover all litigation costs. This means that you do not need to come up with any money to bring your claim, and you will pay your attorney only if they can win your case.
What Is a Contingency Fee?
Attorney contingency fees are usually a percentage of the total award amount, less any expenses the lawyer paid for upfront.
For example, assume you are injured in an Alabama car accident. You enter into a contingency fee agreement with a lawyer, who settles your case for $500,000.
If your contingency agreement provided that an attorney would receive 33% of the recovery amount, your attorney would receive $165,000, and you would recover $335,000. However, if the lawyer advanced litigation costs, those would come out of the total as well.
An attorney’s contingency fees vary. Often, a contingency fee agreement in a personal injury case will provide for one percentage if the case settles out of court and another percentage if the case goes to trial.
Typically, if an injury case settles before filing a lawsuit the contigency fee is 33%. If the case settles through litigation, then the contigency fee is typucalll 40%. This reflects the additional time and effort it takes to prepare a case for trial.
In short, contingency fee agreements allow for accident victims to pursue a claim when they may not otherwise be able to pay for a lawyer.
Have You Been Injured in an Alabama Accident?
If you were injured in an accident and are considering a personal injury claim, call the Fob James Law Firm.
Our dedicated Alabama personal injury lawyers have more than 40 years of experience aggressively representing accident victims.
We handle all types of claims, including car accidents, truck wrecks, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and more. We take all cases on a contingency basis and typically advance the costs of litigation.
To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with one of our Alabama personal injury lawyers, give us a call at 205-407-6009. You can also reach us through our online contact form.
Fob James
Fob James obtained a B.S., in software engineering from Auburn University and then continued his education by getting his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After working for a large regional firm for several years where he obtained awards for both individual and corporate clients, Fob found that his passion was fighting for individuals who have been seriously injured or wronged by others. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society.