worcester personal injury lawyers

If you’ve suffered some sort of injury and you want to file a lawsuit, you should do it as soon as possible with the help of a personal injury attorney.

You probably already know that filing a lawsuit has a statute of limitations so you should file a lawsuit as soon as possible.

With that said, the number one question most personal injury victims ask is…

How Much Do Worcester Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?

First, for any personal injury lawyer to take on your case, they have to determine whether your case has merit or not.

Now, most legit law firms, including ours, offer a free initial consultation. This is where we listen to your side of the story and check out any information you have that might back up your story. We will then use all the information you give us to determine whether we can build a solid case or not.

If your case has merit, and we pursue it, we will charge you a contingency fee. This means that you will only pay us when you get paid.

So let’s cover a few things about your personal injury settlement and how a personal injury lawyer in Worcester gets paid.

Contingency Fee Percentage

In most personal injury cases, a personal injury lawyer will receive one-third of the settlement (33.3%). So if you receive an offer of $60, 000, you will receive $40, 000 and your lawyer will receive $20, 000.

But the contingency fee percentage isn’t set in stone because there is always room for negotiation. In addition, most lawyers charge a smaller fee percentage if the case is settled before they prepare to go to trial.

If you and your personal injury lawyer in Worcester agree to a contingency fee, it must me in writing and you both must have a signed copy of the agreement.

If you are considering hiring a lawyer under a contingency fee agreement, we recommend that you read all about Rhode Island legal ethics.

What If You Settle Before Filing A Lawsuit?

Depending on the stage of your case, most states will provide shifting fee limits. Your lawyer should send a demand letter to the person responsible for your injuries.

The letter explains your injuries and it includes a demand for payment. If your case is solid enough, the person at fault will make a counter offer and negotiations will start from there.

If all goes well and you settle before going to trial, your lawyer won’t be able to demand for more than 33.3% of your settlement.

Settlement After Filing A Lawsuit

Two things might happen after your lawyer sends a demand letter. The person responsible for your injuries might not respond to the letter or they might not take the settlement negotiations seriously.

If that happens, you might need to go to court. In most cases and many states, if your case goes to trial and as a result, you receive compensation for your injuries, your Worcester personal injury lawyer is allowed to take more than 33.3% of the settlement.

Most of them typically take 40% of the settlement.

We would like to emphasize that before you decide to reject a settlement offer in order to file a lawsuit, your expenses will increase.

Some of the costs you will incur include:

  • Trial exhibits
  • Depositions
  • Investigators
  • Filing fees
  • Postage
  • Expert witness fees
  • Police reports
  • Medical records

If your settlement does not occur until close to trial, your expenses will be high. Most personal injury lawyers in Worcester will subtract the costs and expenses from your share of the settlement. Others will charge you for costs and expenses as they become due and they might not proceed with your case until you make payments.

If you add up all the fees, expenses and costs, you might end up parting with 60% of your settlement.

Where Will The Settlement Check Be Sent?

Most lawyers prefer to receive the settlement check just to ensure they get paid for their services. Since most personal injury lawyers take personal injury cases on a contingency basis, they might not get paid if they don’t receive the settlement check.

Your personal injury lawyer should call you as soon as they receive the check. They should also break down their lawyer fees, expenses and costs so that you know the exact amount they are deducting and why they are deducting it.

If there are any charges you wish to dispute your lawyer should put the disputed amount in a trust account and give you the rest of the undisputed amount.

Hire A Worcester Personal Injury Lawyer Today

You can reach any one of our Worcester personal injury lawyers today and schedule your free initial consultation. You can fill out our contact form or visit any one of our offices. We can also come to wherever you feel comfortable.