- October 17, 2023
- Car Accidents
The financial and non-economic burdens left upon a car crash victim leave little room to spare for additional legal costs. But hiring a Buffalo car accident attorney does not have to be a financial burden like the medical costs, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses necessitated by the accident. Instead, you can, in most cases, hire an attorney without paying a penny out of your pocket.
This is called the contingency fee arrangement and it lets you hire legal help without worrying about the bill until you win your case.
The Cost of Not Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer
Before exploring the actual cost of hiring a car accident attorney to represent you, let’s contrast it with the worst-case scenario: what if you don’t get a lawyer? Well, in theory, shouldn’t you be able to recover damages without getting any legal help involved?
Well, yes, but would that compensation be fairly adequate by any measure? Not likely.
If the other party does not contest liability, then you’ll most likely settle matters with their insurance adjuster. The adjuster, however, represents the best interests of their employer, the insurance company, not you. They will lowball compensation offers, hoping to get rid of you cheaply.
If they do so, you can’t claim any further damages (in most cases) and that would be it.
However, with a qualified attorney at your back, you can demand your rightful compensation in light of the evidence. Your attorney will not only assess the true extent of the damages you sustained but will also make sure that the insurance company does not downplay the nature of your injuries.
The difference in the settlement amount in both cases can be huge, and this would be the cost of not hiring an attorney if you go down the first road.
Do You Have to Pay Out of Pocket for Your Attorney’s Fees?
But what about the legal fees? Hiring an attorney means securing a fair payout for your injuries but one must also consider the affordability factor, especially when already bombarded with medical bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Luckily, in most cases, you don’t have to pay a dime out of your pocket to hire an attorney.
This is called the contingency fee arrangement. According to this arrangement, you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket for your legal expenses. Instead, your attorney will first assess your case and if it seems promising enough for them, they’ll take on the challenge, for free.
Only when you win a compensation award (which is more likely as the lawyer has a lot at stake too), you’ll pay a predetermined percentage of your winnings to your attorney. This percentage usually shrinks as the amount for the compensation award increases.
While the overall sum you’ll end up paying will be higher than if you were to pay by the hour, but you won’t have to pay anything out of your pocket. Plus, you’ll only pay up if and when you win your case, not otherwise, so there won’t be any financial burden on you.
Also, keep in mind that according to the New York State Unified Court System’s Rules of Professional Conduct, your lawyer won’t overcharge you.
What Will Your Lawyer Do for You
So, what will hiring a lawyer afford you? Other than offering you legal representation at all stages of the process, your attorney will do lots of other things to ensure a favorable outcome for you.
Your Buffalo automobile accident lawyer will help you gather evidence, conduct a third-party investigation into the matter, bring expert witnesses on board, assess your damages, and so on.
With all this information, evidence, and support for your case, your lawyer will then approach the insurance adjuster and discuss your case. If things don’t seem to be headed anywhere, they can choose to take matters to the court as well – whatever it takes to get you fairly compensated.
Let a Qualified Buffalo Car Accident Attorney Help You
Since you won’t have to deal with any upfront legal costs to contest your claim the right way, what do you have to lose? At the Buffalo Car Accident Lawyers Law Firm, our Buffalo car accident attorneys are highly qualified and thoroughly experienced.
Reach out to us for a free initial consultation after which we can start pursuing your case without any upfront cost to you!
