Why Your Personal Injury Lawyer Works On A Contingency Basis

Law Blog

When you think about hiring an attorney, you might think about having to pay a retainer out-of-pocket before he or she will get started on your case. However, even though this might be standard for some types of lawyers, it's usually not the case for personal injury lawyers. Instead, these attorneys typically work on a contingency basis, which means that you will not have to pay any money up-front for representation. Instead, the attorney will take a percentage (which you will agree on beforehand) of your settlement if your case is won. These are a couple of reasons why these attorneys often prefer to get paid in this manner.

It Makes Legal Representation More Accessible for Clients

For one thing, many lawyers genuinely like to do what they can to help their clients. For example, these attorneys often want to help those who have been in car accidents or who have otherwise been hurt and are unable to work. Lawyers often know that if clients in these bad situations had to come up with the money for an attorney's fee in the beginning that legal representation simply would not be accessible for them. By charging in a different way, however, personal injury lawyers open up their doors to more people who need their help.

It Helps Encourage People to Do Something

Even for those who might have the money to pay for a lawyer up-front, the idea of pursuing a personal injury case can be a lot for some people to think about. Many people worry about losing money and losing their case. Since clients do not have to pay anything if their case is lost, however, personal injury lawyers help encourage people to move forward with their cases by charging their fees on a contingency basis. This can help people get a voice when they would have otherwise not proceeded with their case.

It Helps Them Make More Money

It's true that many personal injury attorneys are able to make more money by charging a contingency fee rather than charging a flat rate. However, this isn't just a good thing for the lawyers; it is also a good thing for clients. This is because, since lawyers know that they will get paid more if their clients get paid more, they are often more likely to work even harder to help their clients win their cases and to win bigger settlement amounts, which can be a win-win for both the client and the lawyer.

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7 June 2017