Some personal injury victims don’t hire a lawyer because they mistakenly believe that they can’t afford them. However, with many OKC personal injury lawyers, including those at Oklahoma Injury Law Firm, offering free consultations and working on a contingency-fee arrangement, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney might be more affordable than you realize.
Free Consultation
Many personal injury lawyers offer a free consultation to prospective clients. During this consultation, the following usually happens:
- The lawyer reviews your case and any records that you have pertaining to it.
- The lawyer informs you if you may have a viable personal injury claim.
- The lawyer answers any questions that you have.
- The lawyer reviews their fee structure with you.
During this time, the lawyer is not yet your lawyer. You can leave the meeting and do nothing. Or, you can choose to hire the attorney. You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain, by taking advantage of one of these free, no-obligation consultations.
What is a Contingency Fee Arrangement?
Most personal injury attorneys in Oklahoma City work on a contingency-fee basis. Under this fee arrangement, the following principles usually apply:
- The lawyer does not charge an hourly rate. Instead, they charge a percentage of the compensation they recover on your behalf.
- You don’t pay upfront attorney fees.
- If your lawyer is not successful, you are not responsible for paying for their time or legal services.
- You can lock in legal services now when you need them, but you don’t have to pay for them until you can afford them.
Here is a common example of how contingency-fee arrangements work:
You get in a car accident and hire a personal injury attorney. The lawyer says that they charge a rate of one-third of the financial recovery they achieve in your case. If you settle your case for $100,000, their fee is $33,333. You would receive the remainder, less any legal costs.
What Are Additional Legal Costs?
Even if your personal injury lawyer takes your case on a contingency-fee basis, there may still be some expenses that you might be responsible for, such as:
- Court filing fees
- Record request fees
- Phone charges
- Printing costs
- Expert witness fees
- Deposition costs
Different attorneys handle these legal expenses differently, with some fronting the initial costs and then seeking reimbursement, while others charge them to their clients. Ask your lawyer how these costs will be handled so you won’t be surprised.
Contact Our OKC Car Accident Attorneys for a Free Case Review
If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve caring and compassionate legal representation. You should not have to worry about how to cover your medical bills, vehicle repairs, and lost wages due to someone else’s negligence.
At Oklahoma Injury Law Firm, we work on a contingency-fee basis. We don’t want you to have to worry about paying for our services upfront and are confident that we can help bring about a positive resolution in your case that we risk the possibility of receiving no payment. Call (405) 310-8800 or contact the firm online to speak to an OKC personal injury lawyer during a free, no-obligation consultation. We can discuss our continegency-fee arrangements and how we can help.