When You Should Hire Car Accident Lawyer (3)
Rabu, 03 Oktober 2018
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When You Should Hire Car Accident Lawyer
Car accident happens almost every day but is every case worth of hiring a Car Accident Lawyer? Well, there is one thing for sure. Don’t fall for the advertisement saying you should hire a lawyer when you get into an accident because there are certain circumstances in which you ought and not ought to hire a lawyer. Learn about the circumstances below.
When You Shouldn’t Hire Lawyer
Let’s start with the circumstances in which you’d better not hire a Car Accident Lawyer. A simple car accident with the clear-cut claims is an example of circumstance where a lawyer is not required. For instance, in this accident, the other car was at fault clearly and he/she acknowledges the reckless he/she has done. The injuries caused by this accident are minor followed with minor expenses and medical bills. And, there is no need for investigation as everything is very clear and the guy who’s at fault is willing to compensate for the damage caused. When you are in this situation, there’s no need for you to call a lawyer and make a lawsuit. Just take care of this with the help of the police and you can come home without anything to worry.
When You Should Ask Advice from Lawyer
When it is clear enough to know in which circumstances you don’t need to hire a lawyer, it is also clear to know in which circumstances you should at least ask for advices from a Car Accident Lawyer. In these situations, hiring a lawyer is not imperative but it is okay if you decide to hire one just to make sure your case is properly handled. The circumstances include:
· You don’t know how to evaluate the claim
· There is no clear or shared liability among the parties
· You have asked to provide your medical records before the accident by the adjuster
· You have given an offer by the adjuster by the claim can actually worth more if you file a lawsuit
· You have been offered with structured settlement instead of lump sum payment
· Your lost wages claim is difficult to prove
· You are not confident enough to make and negotiate settlement by yourself
When You Have To Hire Lawyer
There are some circumstances where you don’t have to hire a lawyer or advised to consult a lawyer. Meanwhile, these are circumstances when hiring Car Accident Lawyer is imperative for your own good.
· Your claim has been denied with the insurance company and will not be reconsidered while you are confident that the company actually makes mistakes
· Too low settlement offer from the insurance company
· You are in extenuating circumstances making your claim actually more valuable. The situation is also worsened with the fact that you have no idea to provide your loss
· The significant medical bills seriously injure your financial condition, be it without or with residual disability
· The residual disability moderately injure yourself and it will also incur future medical bills
· You are confident you aren’t the one responsible or only partially responsible while the liability is being disputed
· The accident involves minor injured party with quite severe injuries
Cost of Car Accident Lawyer
Some people choose the easier and faster way to negotiate on car accident by themselves instead of hiring Car Accident Lawyer due to some reasons including the cost. Well, in circumstances where it is imperative to hire a lawyer, the cost should not be the main consideration. If the case is more likely to win, the cost will be nothing to worry about because the victim will get claim big enough for him/her and the lawyer cost.
Injury Case with Contingency Fee
As opposed to fees charged per hour by most firms that handle other cases, the typical Car Accident Lawyer works based on contingency fee when they work on injury cases. In case you have no idea of contingency fee is, it is a fee that will be charged only if the case is successful and will be deducted from the compensation obtained by the victim. The compensation is usually received from the jury verdict or insurance settlement. So, the client or victim doesn’t have anything to worry about paying the fee upfront.
Contingency Fee Percentage
How much is the contingency? Usually, the amount is in percentage based on the agreement between the client and lawyer. The typical percentage range is from 25% to 40% with the 33% being the standard percentage used in most states. For instance, if you agreed on 33% of contingency fee with your Car Accident Lawyer and you receive $90.000 for your claim, you will get end up getting $60.000 and your lawyer will get $30.000. It’s a fair amount. But there are also some cases in which the lawyer asks for higher percentage due to some reasons like the case being complicated.
Moreover, the amount of percentage is also determined by whether or not the defendant has answered or responded to the legal complaint you submit in the court. If you make complaint after the case has settled, the percentage is usually lower. But if the complaint is submitted prior to the case settlement, the percentage will increase. These are the typical circumstances happen in the court between the clients and Car Accident Lawyer so you as the client should at least acknowledge the fact. And, make sure to ask about the contingency fee before you finally hire the lawyer to make sure you know everything will be going on. Even if it is already stated on written arrangement but you still don’t understand some points, ask the lawyer for more explanation until you are 100% aware of it.
Expenses and Fees
During the court, there are always some expenses and fees that need to be paid. You should negotiate with the Car Accident Lawyer about who will be responsible for paying all the fees and expenses occurred. The expenses and fees usually include the upfront court fees, serving summonses and subpoenas cost, court filing fees, court reporter fees, cost to obtain medical records, expert witness fees and the cost to obtain police reports. Most personal injury law firms ask the clients to be responsible for paying all those fees. If this is the situation, the lawyer will not proceed your case unless you make the payment for all the fees.