There are many scenarios in which people may need to hire personal injury attorneys. Maybe one person sustained major injuries in a Connecticut car crash. The driver at fault may not have enough insurance to pay for medical expenses and lost wages. A lawsuit might be the best option for recouping financial losses in that case.
Defective products, unsafe property conditions and even aggressive pets can also leave people in need of the support provided by a personal injury attorney. Some people who need compensation and legal support choose not to pursue their rights because they don’t want to incur the cost of hiring a lawyer. Contrary to what people sometimes assume, hiring a personal injury attorney does not necessarily require thousands of dollars up front as a retainer.
Some lawyers may work on a contingency basis
Some attorneys require a retainer before they provide any assistance to their clients. They estimate how much time it may take to resolve a legal matter and then have the client deposit a retainer that they hold in escrow for billing purposes. Such arrangements are common when companies need business representation or people decide to divorce.
Personal injury attorneys often take on clients who may not be able to work and who may have already exhausted many of their resources trying to manage basic household finances. They may represent these clients on a contingency basis. The client does not pay anything initially but instead agrees to allow the lawyer to retain a certain percentage of the damages awarded in a successful lawsuit.
Under Connecticut state statutes, lawyers can charge up to 33.3% of the first $300,000 in damages awarded by the courts. They can also collect up to 25% of the next $300,000, 20% of the following $300,000 and 15% of the subsequent $300,000. They can charge up to 10% of any award beyond $1.2 million.
Contingency arrangements help people get representation when they need support but do not have the capital to pay out of pocket for an attorney’s services. The final amount that the attorney collects depends on how much the courts award their clients. This helps motivate the lawyer to provide the best level of representation possible given the circumstances.
Understanding how people who cannot work and who may have tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills hire personal injury lawyers can help people respond to a challenging personal situation more effectively. People in need of legal assistance can potentially hire a lawyer on a contingency basis if the attorney agrees that they have a strong claim.