Legal Aid When You Can’t Afford a Lawyer
If you’re in an accident that causes injury or damage due to somebody else’s negligence, you can try to seek compensation. To do this, you must prove the liability of the at-fault party and negotiate with the insurance company. For this reason, it’s a good idea to have a personal injury lawyer to assist you throughout the process.
Why some lawyers work for free
Most personal injury lawyers, also known as accident lawyers, work on a contingency fee basis.
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis so that we can help people get justice in their accident cases.
What are contingency fees?
Contingency fees mean that an attorney is only paid after winning his/her client’s case. If the attorney doesn’t recover compensation for the client, he/she doesn’t get paid.
When a lawyer is paid through contingency fees, it provides incentive to work harder and achieve a favorable outcome for the legal claim. Attorneys know they won’t get paid unless they win the case for their client.
In addition, contingency fees give injured persons, regardless of their financial means, the ability to receive advice from an attorney when facing large corporations and insurance companies. The use of contingency fees makes it possible for people from all walks of life to seek justice.
Research shows that claimants with a personal injury attorney recover 3.5 times more money on average than unrepresented claimants.
How can you negotiate the contingency fee?
A personal injury attorney’s legal fees may vary depending on the current stage of the legal claim. It’s possible to negotiate an increase in the attorney’s fee percentage if the claim moves closer to trial and more work must be done.
A personal injury attorney commonly charges about 33% to settle a claim prior to a lawsuit, and the rate increases to 40% if a lawsuit is filed. Typically, you and your attorney will agree to contingency fees with a sliding scale like this.
The percentage is open to negotiation between you and your attorney, but it should be fair and reasonable. The percentage is based on factors such as: the likelihood of success, the nature and complexity of the claim, the expenses and risks of proceeding, the amount of expected compensation, and who will receive recovered damages.
Free lawyers in Spanish
If you’re a member of the Spanish-speaking community in Texas and you were involved in an accident, you may have searched in vain for a Spanish-speaking personal injury attorney in San Antonio, Austin or Texas. Don’t give up on filing a lawsuit against the party responsible for your injuries. Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers as soon as possible, and schedule your free consultation.
If you only speak Spanish or you’re more comfortable speaking Spanish, call our law firm and ask to speak with a Spanish-speaking Texas personal injury attorney. One of our experienced Spanish-speaking attorneys will evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information you need to file your claim and get the compensation you deserve.
What are pro bono lawyers?
A pro bono or volunteer attorney is a lawyer who agrees to take all or part of your case at no cost to you, as well as not charge a fee from any other source. Pro bono attorneys offer their services to people who need them.
This is different from lawyers working for a traditional legal aid organization. In this case, attorneys receive funding to handle cases at no cost to the client, but are paid for their work by funders, such as the Texas Access to Justice Foundation or the Legal Services Corporation.
A pro bono or volunteer attorney handles all or part of your case at no cost to you, but isn’t paid for his/her time either. It’s important to understand this difference, because for every hour an attorney volunteers on your case, he/she doesn’t handle other paid cases.
Several non-profit organizations, including local bar associations, work to encourage lawyers to volunteer to help people in need of free legal services. Some law schools encourage their advanced law students to advise individuals as well.
Find a free lawyer near you
If you need a lawyer, George Salinas Injury Lawyers is here for you. We work to provide legal advice to people who have been injured or lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence. No matter what type of injury or loss you suffered – personal injury, car accident, workplace accident, etc. – we can help give you legal advice.
We’ll fight to get you the maximum car accident compensation benefits possible. We’ve recovered over $500 million in damages for our clients. The expenses associated with an accident can be high, so you won’t pay us unless we win your case.
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