If you are considering a personal injury lawsuit of any type, it’s important to find a lawyer who works on a contingency basis.
What does this mean? This means that a lawyer’s fee depends on the verdict or settlement they get for you.
Benefits of Contingency Fees
In any kind of personal injury lawsuit, there is a great deal of uncertainty. Neither you nor your lawyer know whether you will get a settlement or verdict, nor how much it will be. Of course, your lawyer has a good guess, based on previous experience and the details of your case, but it’s still just a guess. Nothing is guaranteed.
When a lawyer is paid on a contingency basis, he shares that risk with you. He doesn’t get paid unless you do. In addition, he gets paid more if you get paid more. This gives him more incentive to work harder and achieve a favorable outcome for your case.
On the other hand, a lawyer who is being paid in a fee-for-service arrangement has an incentive to drag out your case so he can bill you for more hours or services. It doesn’t matter to him whether you win your case or not—he’s already been paid.
Fees vs. Expenses
Working on a contingency basis often refers only to a lawyer’s fees. Expenses—such as hiring investigators or experts, filing costs, and more—may be handled differently. It’s important to talk to your lawyer about how expenses will be handled and whether you will be responsible for them even if you do not get a settlement or verdict in your favor.
At Willens & Baez in Chicago, we fight for the rights of injury victims on a contingency basis. We only get paid if you do. We also offer free case evaluations so you can learn about your likelihood of success without any cost to you.
