If you were injured in an accident caused by another party, you may be entitled to significant compensation. However, insurance companies and defense attorneys will attempt to deny or devalue your claim. You need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney in Baton Rouge to protect your rights and help you secure maximum compensation.
Fortunately, most personal injury lawyers handle cases on a contingency basis. This means that they are not paid attorney fees until they secure compensation on your behalf.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our team covers all costs associated with pursuing your claim upfront, and you will owe us nothing until we recover your compensation. You don’t need to risk your current assets or go into debt to hire an experienced Baton Rouge personal injury attorney with a proven record of securing maximum compensation for clients.
Call (225) 999-1111 or complete the short form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.
How Attorneys Charge For Their Services
Attorneys charge legal fees for their services. Some charge by the hour, while others charge a flat fee. However, most personal injury attorneys handle your case on a contingency fee basis and are not paid unless they recover compensation for you.
The various ways personal injury lawyers in Baton Rouge are paid for their services:
- Hourly fees: When attorneys charge an hourly rate, they bill you for every hour or partial hour they work on your case. Whether they are drafting legal pleadings, negotiating your settlement on a phone call with the insurance company, answering your emails, or performing any other task, you are charged for the time they spend on your case.
- Flat fees: Some attorneys charge a flat fee by agreeing in advance on how much it will cost to handle your case. Most attorneys who charge flat fees do so for smaller projects such as drafting a last will or simple business agreement. In a flat fee arrangement, you know in advance how much you will pay regardless of the amount of time the attorney spends on your legal matter.
- Contingency fees: Most personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis. This is a much different fee arrangement than hourly or flat fees because contingency fee agreements compensate a lawyer based on the outcome they achieve rather than the number of hours or effort they spend on your case. Contingency fees are generally a percentage of the settlement or award obtained in a case.
How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Decide What to Charge?
Since most Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, they charge a percentage of the total compensation recovered as their attorney fees. The rate they charge often ranges from 33% to 40% of the total award or settlement amount.
Attorneys typically base the percentage charged on several factors, including:
- Their experience and record of success: The more experience and greater results a personal injury attorney has, the higher percentage they are likely to charge for their services.
- The complexity of the case: The more complex a case is, the more time and effort the attorney is likely to expend and the higher the fee they are likely to charge. The complexity of the case may depend on the number of parties involved, the strength of your case, the severity of your injuries, and the type of legal theories involved.
- The likelihood of going to trial: Most personal injury claims are settled without going to trial. When a fair settlement cannot be reached and a trial is necessary, the attorney will spend much more time preparing for trial. If your attorney believes your case will go to trial, they are likely to charge a higher percentage for their services.
Why Contingency Fee Agreements Are the Best Option for Personal Injury Claims
Contingency fees benefit both the client and the attorney. Some benefits of contingency fee agreements include:
- You can afford to hire an experienced Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer with a proven record of success without needing to go into debt or risk your assets to do so.
- When you are recovering from injuries and are unable to work, you won’t need to pay an attorney up front to pursue compensation.
- You pay nothing until the attorney recovers compensation on your behalf. If the attorney does not recover compensation, you owe nothing.
- Great attorneys know that they will be fairly compensated for their work when they secure full and fair compensation for their clients.
Many clients believe that because an attorney’s compensation is directly tied to the outcome they achieve for a client, they will work harder to recover maximum compensation. However, lawyers have an ethical duty to prioritize their clients’ interests. So, an attorney should fight hard for their client’s best outcome regardless of how they are paid.
What Questions Should I Ask My Personal Injury Attorney About The Contingency Fee Agreement?
Before entering into a contingency fee agreement, be sure you understand its terms. Ask your Baton Rouge personal injury attorney to specifically state in writing what expenses and fees are covered and which ones are not covered by your contingency fee agreement.
If you want to take an appeal from a judgment, or if the defendant files an appeal of the court’s verdict, you need to know whether your attorney will continue representing you and whether the contingency fee agreement covers an appeal. If the contingency fee agreement does not cover the costs of appeal, what are your options?
Ask precisely how their percentage of compensation will be calculated. Will it be a percentage of the full award or settlement amount before subtracting the litigation expenses and costs? Ask them to give you a specific example of how their compensation will be deducted from the total settlement, and everything that could be deducted before you receive the net amount of your compensation.
Contact a Baton Rouge Personal Injury Lawyer at Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys
The Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys at Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys have helped secure more than $10 billion in client compensation. We have the experience, skills, and resources to help you recover maximum compensation.
If you have been injured in an accident caused by another party, we want to help you. Call (225) 999-1111 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.