How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost in Dallas, Texas?

If you have been injured because of another party’s fault, you have the right to be compensated for your damages by the at-fault party. However, to recover the maximum compensation you are entitled to, you need to be represented by an experienced Dallas personal injury attorney.

Personal injury attorneys deeply understand this area of law, known as tort law. They also know all the legal procedures necessary to litigate your case successfully.

Once you retain a personal injury attorney, they should handle all communications with the insurance companies, including filing your claim and negotiating your settlement.

When you retain a Dallas personal injury attorney, you must understand how they will charge you for their services.

How Attorneys Charge For Their Services

Attorneys charge legal fees for their services. Some charge by the hour, and some may charge a flat fee.

However, most personal injury attorneys handle your case on a contingency fee basis and are not paid unless they recover compensation for you.

Let’s look at how each of these fee arrangements works.

• Hourly fees. When attorneys charge an hourly rate, they bill you for every hour or partial hour they work on your case. Whether they are drafting legal pleadings, negotiating your settlement on a phone call with the insurance company, answering your emails, or performing any other task, you are charged for that time spent on your case.
• Flat fees. Some attorneys charge a flat fee by agreeing in advance how much handling your case will cost. Most attorneys who charge flat fees do so for smaller projects such as drafting a last will and testament or a business agreement. In a flat fee arrangement, you know in advance how much you will pay regardless of the amount of time the attorney spends on your legal matter.
• Contingency fees. Most personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis. This is a much different fee arrangement than hourly or flat fees because contingency fee agreements compensate a lawyer based on the outcome they achieve rather than the number of hours or effort they spend on your case. Contingency fees are generally a percentage of the settlement or award obtained in a case.

What Are the Benefits of Contingency Fee Agreements?

Contingency fees benefit both the client and the attorney. Some benefits of contingency fee agreements include:

• Clients who may be recovering from injuries and unable to work do not have to pay an attorney upfront to pursue compensation.
• Clients pay nothing unless and until the attorney recovers compensation for them.
• Skilled and hardworking attorneys know that they will be fairly compensated for their work when they win compensation for their clients.

Many clients believe that because an attorney’s compensation is directly tied to the outcome they achieve for a client, they will work harder to recover maximum compensation.

However, attorneys have an ethical duty to put their client’s interests first. So, an attorney should fight hard for their client’s best outcome regardless of how they are paid.

What Costs Are Covered In A Contingency Fee Agreement?

The contingency fee covers all legal services your attorney renders in pursuing your compensation.

A contingency fee agreement covers all communications with your attorney. Attorneys charging hourly fees charge their clients for every phone call, email, or text according to the time the communication takes. When you have a contingency fee agreement, you do not need to be concerned about the costs whenever you need to speak to your attorney.

Your contingency fee arrangement covers the costs of your attorney filing an insurance claim. They will prepare the necessary documents for the insurance claim and the necessary evidence to support it. If your claim is denied, your attorney will respond with legal arguments and additional evidence if necessary.

A contingency fee agreement covers settlement negotiations. Most personal injury cases are settled without the need for a trial. Your attorney will work to resolve your case with the insurance company or defense attorneys involved to get a fair settlement as soon as possible for you.

Your attorney will file suit and litigate your claim when a settlement cannot be reached. The contingency fee agreement also covers litigation. Litigation requires intense work by your attorney to prepare and serve pleadings, gather evidence, consult with expert witnesses, file pretrial motions, and present your best case to a jury.

What Costs Are Not Covered In A Contingency Fee Agreement?

Each contingency fee agreement is different. You should carefully read and understand your agreement before signing it and do not hesitate to ask questions if you do not entirely understand it.

Some costs not typically covered by a contingency fee agreement include litigation expenses such as filing fees, expert witness fees, deposition fees, court reporter and stenographer fees, and other necessary out-of-pocket fees your attorney pays to litigate your case.

Your contingency fee may not include the cost of an appeal if you receive a losing verdict. Some contingency fee agreements may provide for a greater percentage fee if an appeal is necessary. Be sure to ask whether and how the contingency fee agreement covers appeals.

What Questions Should I Ask My Dallas Personal Injury Attorney About Their Fees?

Ask your attorney to specifically state in writing what expenses and fees are not covered by your contingency fee agreement.

Ask your attorney whether the contingency fee agreement covers an appeal and, if not, how an appeal will be handled.

Ask precisely how their percentage will be calculated. Will it be a percentage of the full award or settlement amount before subtracting the litigation expenses and costs or after? Ask them to give you a specific example of how their compensation will be deducted from the total settlement and everything that could be deducted before you receive the net amount of your compensation.

Contact an Experienced Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident caused by another party in the Dallas area, you may have the right to recover compensation for your damages.

You need an experienced personal injury attorney to protect your rights and fight to recover the maximum compensation you are entitled to.

Most personal injury attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis, which benefits you and them. Your personal injury attorney should happily answer all questions about the contingency fee agreement and how you will receive compensation.

The attorneys at Bush & Bush Law Group have decades of experience handling personal injury cases and have recovered over $50 million for our clients. We want to help you recover maximum compensation for your damages.

Call (469) 977-7777 or complete the short form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. We welcome all your questions about our contingency fee agreement and how we are paid for our services.