How Much Do Truck Accident Lawyers Cost?

If you were recently injured in a trucking accident, you may have thought about suing but wondered how much truck accident lawyers cost.

Truck accident lawyers are a subset of the group of attorneys commonly known as personal injury lawyers. A truck accident attorney does personal injury work, but has developed specific knowledge and expertise in injuries caused by trucking accidents.

There are a couple of ways in which trucking accident lawyers-and all personal injury lawyers-may be compensated for their work on your case.

Many Truck Accident Lawyers Charge Contingency Fees

The majority of personal injury lawyers, including trucking accident lawyers, charge for their services based on what is known as a contingency fee. Under a contingency fee agreement, you do not pay any legal fees until you receive money from the party at fault for your accident or their insurance company.

If you don't win or settle the case, then the attorney gets no money for representing you. If you win the case in court or settle the case, the truck accident lawyer will typically take a percentage of the award or settlement.

Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, you should find out exactly what percentage you will be required to pay if you win or settle the case. Percentages typically vary from location to location and may also vary depending on the nature of the case. You can also try to negotiate a lower percentage.

You should be aware that your lawyer may also deduct his or her expenses from your total settlement. Expenses may include:

• Investigator fees
• Expert witness fees
• The cost of getting copies of medical reports and police records
• Court filing fees
• The cost of hiring a court reporter for depositions

Clarify with the attorney whether he or she is paid from your gross settlement (the amount of the settlement before expenses have been deducted) or the net settlement (the amount of the settlement after expenses have been deducted). You should also clarify whether you will be responsible for reimbursing the lawyer for these expenses if you do not receive a financial settlement.

Hourly Rate

If the attorney is not interested in taking your case on contingency fee, he or she may offer to represent you for an hourly rate, plus expenses. It's important to understand that you will be responsible for paying your lawyer's legal fees and expenses regardless of whether you win or lose your case.

One thing to recognize is that if you are unable to find a truck accident lawyer who will represent you on contingency fee, it may be because you don't have a very strong case.