A person should not hesitate to contact a motor vehicle accident lawyer in Tucson, AZ if he or she is worried about how to pay attorney fees. This individual may be familiar with retainer fees, in which the client makes a down payment on attorney fees and is also billed for any hourly amount not covered by the initial payment. When lawyers work for clients who have been injured in an automobile accident, however, they generally provide their services on a contingency basis. That means paying a certain percentage of the insurance carrier settlement or court award to the attorney instead of paying upfront charges. If there is no settlement from the insurer or a monetary amount designated by a judge or jury, the attorney does not receive any fees.
A firm such as Price and Price Law usually charges one-third of the financial compensation they help clients obtain. For example, if they negotiate a settlement of $9,000, the client pays them $3,000 and keeps $6,000. There will likely be some additional costs the client is responsible for that do not involve payment to the lawyer. Examples include court filing fees and the services of a private investigator. Clients typically pay these costs after they receive their financial compensation and do not have to pay if no compensation is forthcoming. The law firm can provide an estimate ahead of time.
During the first appointment with an injury lawyer, the attorney discusses the amount the potential client may expect. The client can then decide whether it is worthwhile to have legal representation when taking the contingency fee and other costs into consideration. If the insurance carrier is currently offering a much lower settlement than the lawyer believes the injured person deserves, that’s a definitive reason to have skilled counsel. Insurance companies naturally start on the low side when they make settlement offers. A motor vehicle accident lawyer in Tucson, AZ knows how much injured people are paid on average after certain types of incidents and certain kinds of injuries. This attorney only accepts cases he or she is relatively sure will be successful for the client.
