Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney in Texas is a great way to help you win your legal claim and recover the compensation you need to get back on your feet after an accident. However, when you’re faced with overwhelming medical bills, a sudden loss of income, and other financial hardships, it might feel like you just can’t afford to ask for help.
That’s why many Texas personal injury lawyers offer contingency fee representation. The arrangement allows you to hire a qualified and experienced legal advocate without any up-front costs. In fact, there’s no risk in asking for help. You only pay if the attorney wins your personal injury case.
What is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee is wholly dependent on the outcome of a legal case. When you agree to hire a Texas personal injury law firm, you pay nothing up front. Instead, you pay the firm a percentage of the financial award that’s recovered for you.
When your lawyer secures a settlement or wins a verdict for you at trial, costs and attorney fees are deducted from that monetary award. If the personal injury attorney doesn’t win your case, you pay nothing at all.
Contingent representation makes it possible for you to ask for help without adding to your financial stress. The lawyer will front any costs required to litigate your personal injury case, too.
What Will it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney in Texas?
By law, attorney fees must be fair. Typically, personal injury lawyers charge anywhere between 30 and 40 percent of the financial award they negotiate or win at trial.
Several factors can influence a specific injury attorney’s fee:
- The type of personal case you have and its level of difficulty
- Whether the case settles or is resolved at trial
- The attorney’s experience and track record of success
It might cost more to hire a very seasoned litigator with a proven track record of success than it would to hire an attorney who is fresh out of law school and looking to make their mark as a winning advocate. Similarly, a personal injury lawyer in Texas may charge more to handle a highly complicated legal dispute that’s likely to go to trial than for a seemingly straightforward case that will likely settle.
Keep in mind that while the law firm will often pay for costs of litigation, such as expert witness fees, administrative costs, and filing fees, those expenses will be paid out of the financial award that’s won in the end.
Most law firms calculate their fees using the gross award (total amount covered). Then, any costs that are invested into the case are reimbursed from the net award (total amount less attorney fees). The remaining award goes to you. There are situations when an attorney-client contract might arrange for payment out of your net recovery, which means that case-related costs are deducted first, then attorney fees are paid.
It’s always important to discuss compensation before hiring an experienced Texas personal injury attorney near you. Attorneys should always be upfront and honest about their fee structures and make sure that you’re comfortable with the arrangement before executing a contract for representation.
The personal injury lawyers at Dow Law Firm are highly respected and successful legal advocates who can help you fight for the compensation you need and deserve. Our contingency fee services are designed to make life as easy as possible for you.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident in Texas and has questions about representation, don’t hesitate to contact our Texas personal injury attorneys at (512) 240-9951.