If you’ve been involved in a car accident, a slip and fall accident, or any other kind of accident, you might be wondering how much it will cost you to hire a New Bedford personal injury lawyer. The good news is everybody can afford to hire a personal injury lawyer because the payment is structured in such a way that you don’t have to incur any upfront costs. Many personal injury lawyers prefer to charge a percentage of the settlement in a personal injury claim. This is referred to as a contingency fee. In simpler terms, your lawyer will only get paid when they manage to secure compensation for you. You, therefore, don’t need to lose your legal rights because you’re concerned about paying a lawyer. Remember that once you forfeit your legal rights, your chance to try and obtain redress will be impossible. You should contact a personal injury lawyer in New Bedford as soon as possible after you or a loved one has sustained a personal injury.

How will your New Bedford personal injury lawyer get paid?

They will draw up a contingency fee agreement stating that they will be paid a percentage of your total settlement. This is great because it will give them more incentive to secure as much compensation as is legally possible for you.

How do contingency fees work?

It’s important to discuss with your attorney whether their contingency fee will be calculated before or after the expenses in your case are deducted from your settlement amount. Expenses include the fee to file a lawsuit, copying costs for medical records, expert witness fees, among other expenses. Your settlement can also be subject to medical liens. Your healthcare provider might accept private health insurance but some might want to secure their fee by filing a lien against your settlement. If this is the case, your lawyer will be expected to pay the lien before disbursing the settlement award to you.

It’s important to check with your medical provider and your lawyer to be sure you are clear on how they will get paid and if there are any financial concerns that should be addressed.

What does your personal injury lawyer do to earn a contingency fee?

When you sign a contingency agreement with your lawyer you get access to all his firm’s resources and expertise. They understand statutory issues and complex liability so they can use their expertise to evaluate your case and devise a strategy to get you the best personal injury settlement.

Your personal injury lawyer in New Bedford can handle a car accident claim, product liability claim, workers compensation, and any other injury case. Below are the duties your lawyer should perform before getting a contingency fee.

Investigate the accident

Your lawyer will be able to access evidence that you might not have been able to access such as surveillance footage from government security cameras around the area where your accident happened. They will also be able to obtain photographs of the accident site, police reports, and witness statements. Collecting all this evidence will help them to determine who was at fault and the best approach to your case.

• How Does Camera Footage Help Your Case?

Calculating the value of your case

Your lawyer should review your medical report, medical bill, hospital records, and expert evaluations. They should also talk to you about your personal limitations and healing process. They will also study previous cases similar to yours to find out how much was awarded in terms of settlements and economic projections. With this information, they will be able to calculate the true value of your case.

Negotiating on your behalf

When you are ready to settle, your lawyer will present your demands to the other party that was involved in the accident. Your lawyer will work directly with the insurance company to solve the case without going to court. The negotiation process may last a week or months and it might not end in an agreement.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit

When the other party won’t offer a reasonable settlement amount, your lawyer will draft a personal injury lawsuit and file it in court to protect your legal rights and recover damages.

Hiring a New Bedford personal injury lawyer

At Kevin P Landry law offices, we do not charge for initial consultations and we charge a contingency fee. Contact one of our New Bedford personal injury lawyers at 508-999-0800 as soon as possible and we will evaluate your case free of charge.