Contingency Fees Help Injury Victims Get the Help They Need
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we know that when someone has been injured in a car accident or through some other act of negligence, they often need compensation from the responsible party to cover medical expenses, compensate for lost income, and begin to rebuild. The last thing they need is an additional financial burden.
Unfortunately, many people in need of legal help after an injury or the loss of a loved one don’t seek a personal injury or wrongful death lawyer because they fear it will be too expensive. We believe financial stress should never be a barrier to justice. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis.
What is a Contingency Fee?
“Contingent” means that one thing happens only if something else occurs. For example, if you promise your child a trip to the amusement park if they get straight A’s on their next report card, the trip to the amusement park is contingent on the child receiving those grades. In a contingent fee arrangement, the law firm getting paid is contingent on either negotiating a settlement or winning a verdict at trial for the client. If the attorney doesn’t secure a settlement or verdict for the client, the client doesn’t pay any attorney fees.
If the law firm does settle or win the case for the client, the client pays a fee that has been agreed in advance. Usually, this is a percentage of the total award. Contingency fee arrangements are common in personal injury cases such as car accident cases, product liability cases, medical malpractice cases, wrongful death cases and other negligence-based claims. But, they are prohibited in some types of cases, such as criminal defense.
What is a Contingency Fee Agreement
A contingency fee agreement is a contract that sets forth a contingent fee agreement. In Texas, attorneys working on a contingency fee basis are required to enter into a written contingency fee agreement with the client. The written contingency fee contract must include:
- The method by which the fee will be determined
- If the contingency rate differs depending on the stage at which the case is concluded, each percentage must be set forth in the contract
- What if any expenses the client will be responsible for
- Whether the contingency fee will be calculated before or after deduction of expenses
Is a Contingency Fee Only if You Win?
As explained above, a contingency fee arrangement in a personal injury or other negligence-based case is typically dependent on the law firm winning or settling the case on the client’s behalf. The firm then receives a percentage of the amount recovered for the client.
Attorneys in other practice areas may sometimes enter into agreements where fees or the amount of fees are contingent on something else. But, at the George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we only represent injury victims and surviving family members. So, when we enter into a contingency fee agreement, it means that the client doesn’t pay us any fees unless we recover damages for them.
Connect with a Personal Injury Attorney
We are committed to ensuring that injury victims and their families have access to the help they need, without worrying about up-front payment or mounting debt. Working on a contingency fee basis is one of the ways we help improve access to quality legal assistance. But, we also understand that the first step for most people after a car accident or other serious injury is to gather information.
It’s important to understand your options and to find the right personal injury attorney for you. So, in addition to working on a contingent fee basis, we also offer free consultations to people who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents, on someone else’s property, or even at work. If you’ve recently suffered a serious injury and don’t know what to do next, the answer is easy: schedule your free consultation.
Just call 210-225-0909, fill out our contact form, or click in the lower right corner of this page to chat. We look forward to discussing how we can help you move forward after your injury.
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