What Are Contingency Fees in a New York Personal Injury Case
New York personal injury lawyers accept cases on contingency fee basis. This means that you don’t have to come up with any money for a retainer to hire your lawyer, and you don’t have to worry about paying your lawyer by the hour.
Working for a contingency fee means we do not get paid any fee unless we are successful in obtaining compensation, whether by a settlement or a verdict.
What Is the Contingency Fee Percentage?
In New York almost all personal injury attorneys will accept one third (1/3rd) of the ultimate award as their legal fee. If we lose your case for any reason, you owe us nothing.
Would You Get More Money Handling Your Case Yourself?
Generally, the answer is no. Many insurance companies very soon after an accident, and before you have hired a lawyer, will call you directly and make you a settlement offer. Based on our many years of experience this offer may be as little as 10% of the true value of your injuries. The insurance company is hoping you will accept this low offer before you hire an attorney because they expect that you do not know the real value of your injury and you are in need of the money so that you will be inclined to jump at their offer.
Hiring a personal injury lawyer in your case early can make all the difference in the world. An honest and reputable attorney will advise you to take the insurance companies offer if that is the right thing for you to do. Your attorney will take into consideration the severity your injuries as well as whether the potential defendant has only a limited insurance policy.
Remember, that before you decide whether to settle early or not you MUST first know the extent of your injuries and what your future recovery will be.
Unfortunately, there are some New York personal injury lawyers that will try to be retained by many victims who suffered a personal injury and then they will try to settle the cases as early as possible and with doing as little work as possible. I actually know of one personal injury law firm that has approximately 800 cases, with only two (2) lawyers! Ask yourself how well they know your case and how they will actually represent you.
At Jaroslawicz and Jaros I am proud to say if you consult with our lawyers and convey an early settlement offer from the insurance company, if we think that is the right thing for you to do, we will advise you to accept it and we will not charge any fee for our advice. If we think the offer is too low and not reasonable, we will explain your options and what we expect will happen if you refuse the offer and we file a suit on your behalf.
Don’t be afraid of contingency fees. They allow you to pursue justice without worrying about the costs and expenses. If you or a loved one were injured in an accident and are in need of legal assistance call the lawyers at Jaroslawicz & Jaros.
The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. Please call to ensure that you do not waive your right to compensation.