Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were in an accident with a semi-truck, odds are you need to hire an attorney. The question is how do you pay your attorney? Here are the two ways that truck accident lawyers expect payment for their services.
Hourly Rates
For a truck accident lawyer and other personal injury lawyers, hourly rates are not common. If you speak with a lawyer who is unsure of the validity of your case or if he or she does not want to take the case, he or she may offer an hourly rate. In this case, you would have to pay the hourly rate plus the legal fees and expenses that your lawyer undergoes while fighting the case.
When it comes to trucking accidents, you should not automatically accept an hourly rate. If this is your first offer, make sure that you shop around first to see if this is typical for your case. Otherwise, you should look for a lawyer who charges a contingency fee.
Contingency Fees
Contingency fees are the most common for truck accident cases. A contingency fee agreement means that you do not pay any of the legal fees or your attorney’s fees until you receive money from the at-fault party. If you do not win the case or if it does not settle with you receiving any award, then you do not have to pay the attorney. Now, if you do win, then the attorney will have a percentage of the award. Often, this is around 30 percent, but some lawyers may negotiate for higher or lower, depending on the case or the circumstances involved. Other fees include filing fees, investigator fees, medical report copy fees, court reporter fees and anything else necessary to fight your case.
You should always talk to the attorney in advance about how you will work out the contingency fee contract. In some cases, he or she will take a cut from the gross settlement before you deduct fees and in other cases, he or she may take it from the net settlement after you deduct those expenses. Now, in some cases, you may have to reimburse the lawyer for expenses if you do not win the case. In these instances, make sure to come to an agreement beforehand so you know your responsibilities.
When it comes a truck accident, you know that you need an attorney, but you may not always know how you’re going to pay for it. Luckily, most lawyers will work for contingency fees. This means that you are not responsible until the case settles. For more information, consult with a semi-accident lawyer.
