When we first meet with a car accident victim, one of the first things they ask us is how much it’s going to cost to hire us. People still don’t realize that our Charlotte accident lawyers do not charge anything up front. In fact, we offer new clients a free, initial consultation so they can find out if they want to hire us in the first place. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have to pay your attorney at some point. Once your accident attorney in Charlotte settles your case, they will expect to be reimbursed any fees that they paid on your behalf. They will also be entitled to their contingency fee as per the agreement you signed when you first retained them.
This may sound like you’re parting with a great deal of money in exchange for our legal services. What we tell our clients is that it is much better to receive a percentage of your settlement rather than receive nothing at all. Oftentimes, having a good Charlotte accident lawyer can make the difference between winning and losing your case. While there is no law that says you can’t represent yourself in a situation like this, it may not be the best decision. If you want the best possible outcome, it’s a good idea to at least meet with an accident attorney in Charlotte and find out whether your case has merit.
Our Accident Attorneys in Charlotte Offer All New Clients a Free Consultation
Like other personal injury lawyers, our accident attorneys in Charlotte offer new clients a free, initial consultation. We do this for two main reasons. First, we want to have the opportunity to review a potential client’s case before we make any promises. We do not want to agree to represent somebody only to find out a week or two later that their case has no value. The second reason we offer a free consultation is so that you get a chance to see if you want to retain our services. Some clients meet with half a dozen attorneys before they make their final decision. From our perspective, we know that our accident attorneys in Charlotte have decades of combined experience and we’ll do what it takes to get our clients the compensation they deserve. However, the ultimate decision is yours and you are under no pressure or obligation to hire us just because you took advantage of your free consultation.
You Don’t Have to Pay Anything Upfront
One of the nice things about hiring one of our Charlotte accident lawyers is that you don’t have to pay anything upfront. This doesn’t mean that we’re special. Personal injury attorneys, by their nature, never charge anything up front. The way it works is you sign something called a contingency agreement. This agreement outlines how your attorney is repaid should your case settle or you win at trial. Typically, you do not pay your attorney anything upfront. Your attorney will front the costs for any filing fees and other expenses related to your lawsuit. However, when your case settles, your Charlotte accident lawyer will be entitled to a certain percentage of your settlement proceeds. Depending on your agreement, this percentage can range anywhere from 30% to 40%. Some accident attorneys in Charlotte may charge more than that. Usually, it depends on whether your case goes to trial. If one of our attorneys have to dedicate the time and resources to take your case to trial, they will have to increase your contingency fee percentage.
For example, imagine that you were involved in a car accident, and you sued the other driver for $100,000. After negotiating back and forth, your Charlotte accident lawyer is able to settle the case for $80,000. The first thing that is paid out of your settlement proceeds is your attorney’s fee. If the percentage was 40%, then your Charlotte accident lawyer will be entitled to $32,000. Once they are paid their contingency fee, they will then need to deduct any costs associated with your case. For the purpose of explanation, we will say that the costs in your case were $5,000. This means that, so far, you have paid out a total of $37,000. The remaining $43,000 is there to pay any out-of-pocket medical expenses, outstanding medical bills, and any other expenses related to your accident. What is left when all is said and done will be yours.
There’s a Good Chance Your Case Will Settle
We like to let all our clients know that there is a very good chance that their case will settle. Most people don’t realize it, but more than 95% of all personal injury cases settle before trial. Trials are expensive and time consuming. Not only that, but there’s always the chance that you will lose. If you lose, both you and your Charlotte accident lawyer will walk away with nothing. That is not the outcome that anybody wants. This is why we work so hard to get our clients the money they deserve. It doesn’t do anybody an ounce of good for us to take on a case that has zero chance of winning. This is one of the reasons that we offer the free consultation – so that our accident attorneys in Charlotte can get a good handle on whether your case has merit.
You Should Take Advantage of Your Free, Initial Consultation
We suggest that anybody who’s been involved in a motor vehicle accident contact our office as soon as possible. You can schedule your free, initial consultation with one of our accident attorneys in Charlotte. As mentioned here, you do not have to pay anything upfront to retain our services. During your consultation, you can ask any questions you may have. Your attorney will also have some questions of their own. This is the opportunity for both of you to decide whether you want to move forward with your case. Since your consultation is free, and since we don’t charge anything up front, you really have nothing to lose. You can bet that the other driver will have an attorney in their corner and you should too.
