Yes! Fortunately, Texas law (and many other states as well) allow attorneys to represent an injured person on a contingent fee. This is a fee arrangement where the attorney would keep a percentage of the recovery that is “contingent” on a recovery for the client. This means the lawyer will only get paid if they make a recovery for the client.
It would be very difficult for most people to hire a personal injury attorney and pay them an hourly reasonable and consistent with what lawyers are charging hourly clients. An hourly lawyer can cost $200 to $600 an hour, and people typically do not have the type of money to retain an attorney and put down a $5,000 or $20,000 retainer.
The contingent fee also creates a nice situation for the client because they have an attorney that is essentially risk-free. If the attorney is not able to obtain a settlement or a verdict for them after trial, then the lawyer will not get paid and the client would not owe any money. This way, there is no out of pocket expense for the client if the case turns out poorly.
This is also good because it ensures that lawyers who represent clients on a contingency fee basis take good cases – they will not want to take a case that would result in zero recovery. This creates an incentive for the lawyer to to obtain the best settlement possible.
Common Misconceptions and Misunderstandings About Working with A Personal Injury Attorney
As is the case in many industries, the bad image of a few can negatively impact the image of the good lawyers. There is a lot of bad lawyer marketing out there, and there are some very distasteful TV commercials, so people often think that all personal injury lawyers must be like those guys on TV.
People often think a lawyer is only out to make a quick buck and that they really do not care about their clients. In our case, and for a lot of lawyers I know, this perception could not be further from the truth. We genuinely care about our clients. Of course, we do try to make a living in our practice, but we always try to do it in an ethical and a fair way.
The other misconception is that people sometimes feel like they found a lottery ticket when they are injured. Someone who was severely injured may receive a very large settlement in a personal injury case. A person who was not severely injured in an accident may not receive as large of a settlement. People sometimes come into the process thinking that a small, minor injury from a small, minor accident will entitle them to multimillion dollar settlement. This is simply not the case. We help our clients set realistic expectations so they are no surprises at the end of the case.
For more information on Working with A Personal Injury Attorneys, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling (817) 926-1003 today.
