How Contingency Fees Work in Personal Injury Claims

How Contingency Fees Work in Personal Injury Claims. When you're injured because somebody else broke the rules, it can already lead to significant financial hardships with lost wages, outrageous medical bills and other out-of-pocket expenses. If an insurance company isn't being reasonable and doesn't want to fairly compensate you for your injuries, the prospect of paying even more money to hire a lawyer is daunting. At Burger Law, our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don't pay until we win your case. If you've been injured by somebody else's negligence, call the personal injury law firm of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free, no-risk, no-obligation case review. With offices in St. Louis, Chicago and elsewhere, we fight hard for our clients throughout Missouri and Illinois.

If you were injured because of somebody else's negligence, see how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.

What Is a Contingency Fee?

A contingency fee is a way for an attorney to get paid instead of an hourly or service-based fee. It is only used if you are retaining an attorney because you are seeking a financial recovery. If your attorney takes your case on a contingency fee basis, that means that they are paid a percentage of your final compensation; only when, and only if, your attorney is successful in securing you a financial recovery.

In one recent case, we were able to turn an initial $3,900 settlement offer into $100,000. So in complicated cases where the insurance company isn't being fair, you can still recover tens of thousands of dollars in damages more by hiring a lawyer on a contingency fee basis.

8 Benefits of a Contingency Fee

There are many benefits to a contingency fee for someone who is under financial strain but still needs legal representation to secure justice and the compensation they deserve. The eight most important benefits of a contingency fee are:

• You can file a claim regardless of your financial status. It's hard enough to pay the rent or mortgage and other bills when you're already suffering the financial impact of lost wages, medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses like transportation. With a contingency fee, you can have immediate access to legal advocacy regardless of your income level or how your injuries have affected you and your family's finances.
• You only pay if you get paid. There's no additional financial risk for the client when pursuing a claim. If for some reason your claim is unsuccessful (it won't be if you hire Burger Law), you won't have to be stuck paying an attorney for a job they didn't deliver on.
• You know your lawyer really believes in your case and will work hard on it. Personal injury claims, even ones that seem relatively simple at first, take a lot of time, effort, money and clever legal maneuvers on the part of the lawyer in order to be successful. We're only going to take your case if we believe in it and know that we can add substantial value to it.
• You pay no out-of-pocket fees. Filing claims or litigating lawsuits is expensive. Testimony from expert witnesses is often required, among myriad other costs. We take care of those expenses for you and only get paid after we use these resources to get you a successful resolution.
• You can focus on healing. Without having to worry about compiling enough money to pay your lawyer every few weeks or months, you can focus on what's important: getting better and getting back to work. You'll also be able to attend any physical therapy or chiropractic appointments you need to recover that might be covered under your health insurance.
• You and your attorney have the same goals. You won't have to worry that your lawyer is giving you the runaround and recommending a course of action just to accumulate more fees. Under a contingency fee agreement, you and your attorney have the same clear objective: getting you all of the financial recovery you are owed and getting it as quickly as possible.
• You and your attorney share the risk of litigation. With an hourly fee, a lawyer may work hard on your case, but at the end of the day they carry no financial risk if your claim isn't successful. With a contingency fee, you not only share the same goals, but the same risk.
• You can level the playing field against large corporations. Insurance companies, trucking companies, hospitals and other wealthy organizations have the funds to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on expert witnesses and top-level defense lawyers. Through an hourly fee, individuals and families might be tempted to take a low settlement offer because they know they aren't going to be able to fight it. With a contingency fee, you don't need to be a millionaire to have access to the highest standard of legal advocacy. As we only get paid at the conclusion of the case, corporations or wealthy defendants won't be able to use their money as leverage.

Missouri and Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers | Burger Law

It isn't fair that you should have to deal with financial hardships caused by somebody else's negligence. At Burger Law, our personal injury attorneys have seen time and time again the uncertainty and fear that being injured can bring to a family. But you do not have to be uncertain about whether or not you can afford the expert legal representation you need to truly recover. At Burger Law, we've dedicated our lives to helping the injured and vulnerable from all walks of life get the compensation they deserve. If you've been injured in Chicago, St. Louis, or anywhere in Missouri and Illinois, speak to a personal injury lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.