Most lawyers handle personal injury cases under what is known as the contingency fee system. So what does this mean to the person who is injured?
The contingency fee arrangement means attorney fees are contingent upon recovering compensation for the client. The fee is typically a percentage of the amount recovered, after case expenses have been deducted. If the lawyer is unable to make a recovery, then you owe no fees – although you should ask your lawyer if you will be responsible any expenses, such as court-filing fees.
The contingency fee arrangement gives all people, regardless of income level, access to our civil justice system. If an attorney thinks a person has a good case, he or she will take it based on the hope of recovering compensation at the end if they are successful. The contingency fees system tends to weed out frivolous lawsuits that have little chance of success. Few lawyers would be willing to invest their time in a personal injury case if they did not think they could win it.
Without contingency fees, only people with substantial financial resources could afford to hire an attorney to represent them in a personal injury case. Insurance companies could offer claimants a fraction of what the case is worth, or deny the claim altogether, knowing that few will have the financial resources to hire an attorney.
Most attorneys offer a free initial consultation to evaluate your case and explain how the contingency fee system works. To talk to an attorney from the Caldarone Law Group, P.A. in Naples, Florida, call 239-420-7205.