How Much Will it Cost to Hire a Truck Crash Lawyer?

What Does it Cost to Hire a Truck Crash Lawyer?

Attorneys have a reputation for being very expensive to hire. The reality is that, like many professional services, the cost of hiring a lawyer varies widely. Depending on the type of attorney you’re hiring, what you’re hiring them for, and even where they are located or their level of experience can all have an effect on their rates.

In most cases, hiring an attorney isn’t an unexpected expense. For instance, odds are that you’ll know in advance that you’re going to need to hire a divorce lawyer.

But when it comes to car accidents and truck accidents, the need to hire an attorney is something that happens suddenly. This means that you won’t have time to save up money to hire legal help, which may make you think twice about calling a lawyer. Unfortunately, this can leave you at risk of not getting fair compensation for your injuries and damages.

If you’ve been in an accident, one of the first questions you’ll likely have is about what it will cost upfront to hire a truck crash lawyer. You might be relieved to learn that the answer is often nothing.

Unlike other types of lawyers, personal injury lawyers typically charge a contingency fee to deal with car and truck accident cases.

What is a Contingency Fee?

Attorneys practicing many types of law charge for their services by the hour. When you consider the different tasks that lawyers perform in building a case and presenting it in court, an hourly fee can quickly add up to a big bill.

But truck crash lawyers typically charge a contingency fee rather than an hourly fee.

A contingency fee is a pre-determined percentage of a settlement paid once a case is settled. If you hire an attorney to take care of your truck accident case, you’ll first discuss this fee with them. Most attorneys will have a pre-set contingency fee percentage that they charge clients.

Then, your lawyer will build your case, take on insurance companies, and represent you in court if it comes to that.

Once you’ve won your case and received your settlement, your attorney will take out the percentage that you agree upon ahead of hiring them.

IN THIS SECTION:

• What Does a Contingency Fee Pay For?
• What are the Benefits of a Contingency Fee?
• How Much is a Contingency Fee?

What Does a Contingency Fee Pay For?

This payment takes the place of an hourly fee and covers a variety of expenses that your attorney amassed while handling your case. This includes things like:

• Their own salary
• Salary of office staff and support
• Rent or mortgage on their office space
• The use of office equipment, like computers and cellphones

What are the Benefits of a Contingency Fee?

This arrangement is beneficial to both your attorney and to you as the client. The higher the settlement that your attorney is able to get for you, the higher their contingency fee will be. But for the client, there’s one major benefit; lose your case, and you won’t have to pay your lawyer.

So if you didn’t have an emergency fund ready to pay for legal help and a car accident caught you by surprise, you can still get help fighting for the compensation that you deserve.

How Much is a Contingency Fee?

As mentioned above, in most cases, attorneys have a pre-set contingency fee that they charge all truck accident clients. This means that the fee cannot be negotiated. However, if a case is particularly complicated and likely to require a lot of your lawyer’s time, they may choose to raise their contingency fee.

Each lawyer is free to set their contingency fee at whatever percentage they choose. However, the average is around one-third of a settlement.

What Other Costs are Clients Responsible For?

Contingency fees cover expenses like your attorney’s salary and the rent for their office space. But there are a few other expenses that clients are also responsible for, and which do not fall under the contingency fee.

Some examples of other expenses that clients will need to pay in the course of their case or afterward, once they’ve received their settlement, include:

• The cost of obtaining copies of police reports and medical records
• Expert witness fees if your case goes to court
• Costs of obtaining any additional evidence
• All court and filing fees

In most cases, these additional expenses are fairly minor. However, unlike the contingency fee, they will need to be paid whether you win your case or not.

Some lawyers require that these expenses be paid as they come up. Others will allow clients to pay them once they have received their settlement.

Hiring a Truck Crash Lawyer

Don’t let the expense of hiring a truck crash lawyer keep you from getting the legal help that you need in order to fight for the compensation that you deserve.

Truck accidents seem to always happen at the worst possible time, especially financially. Contingency fees make it easier for anyone to afford the unexpected expense of an attorney. That way you won’t have to sacrifice getting good legal help, regardless of your current financial situation.

Related Content: When should you get a lawyer for a car accident?