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There are two questions you should
ask regarding a law firm's fee:
- What
type of fee is it?
- How
much is the fee?
What
type of fee?
We work on a contingent fee in our Accident Injury
practice. This means we get paid only if we successfully collect on your claim.
You pay nothing to hire us. We also front the expenses associated with your claim,
such as police report fees, postage, expert witness testimony, etc. This means
the costs of working on your claim are taken out of the settlement you receive
from the insurance company, along with our fee. If, in the unlikely event we are
not successful, you would be responsible for the expenses, but would NOT owe us
any fee.
How
much is the fee?
The normal fee charged by most law firms in the Valley
for Personal Injury cases is 33.3%. Our fee is 25%. We receive 25% of the settlement
from the insurance company. Our fee means you receive a higher percentage of the
settlement from a few hundred to several thousand dollars MORE, depending on the
size of your claim.
There is one situation where our fee would increase
to 33.3%: if your claim is litigated (a lawsuit is filed). Most cases are settled
out of court. However, sometimes the insurance company refuses to give you what
we believe is a fair settlement. In those situations, we do not hesitate to take
the case to court. For more information about litigation,
click here.
We charge a higher fee because of the additional time
a court case requires. But remember, the "higher fee" we charge in the event your
claim requires the additional step of litigation is the same fee most law firms
normally charge (and typically LESS than what they charge to litigate).
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