While no one wants to find themselves injured at the hands of another, it does happen. The most common personal injury cases tend to arise from unexpected situations, such as slip and fall accidents or motor vehicle accidents.
In these instances, it may be necessary to seek the assistance of a personal injury lawyer to be properly compensated for your physical injuries and other complications. But what kinds of personal injury lawyer costs can you expect? Read on to learn more.
What types of claims do personal injury lawyers handle?
Personal injury claims involve more than just a slip and fall or a motor vehicle accident. The following types of situations can qualify as causing personal injuries that can rise to the level of a personal injury claim:
Car accidents, such as:
- Pedestrians accidents
- Bicycle and motorbike accident claims
- Taxi and truck accident claims
Medical negligence and professional negligence
Public liability – Injuries arising out of recreational and sporting activities
Work-related injuries – learn more from our workers compensation lawyers
While not all injuries may require you to claim for compensation, any personal injury that caused physical harm and/or permanent damage is one that is worth having investigated and evaluated by a compensation lawyer.
Personal injury lawyer cost: how much does a personal injury claim cost?
In New South Wales, personal injury lawyers can offer clients a couple of options.
1. Contracted fee for services
The first option is a traditional contracted fee for services. In this case, the personal injury lawyer costs applied to your case must be considered “fair and reasonable.” Here are some parameters;
- If your claim is for $100,000 or less in damages, then the fee arrangement between you and your lawyer is regulated by the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014.
- Under this format, if the claim is for $100,000.00 or less, the attorney can only charge $10,000 or 20% of the amount you recover, whichever is less. This limitation is the same whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant.
- It is possible to circumvent these restrictions. If you and your lawyer enter into an agreement for some other manner of calculating the payment of personal injury lawyer costs, the basis of the fees and any and all expected costs must be divulged to the client in writing.
2. No win, no fee agreement
The second option is called a “no win, no fee” guarantee – this is also known as taking a case on contingency. This means that if the injured party does not recover an award of damages, they are not responsible for outstanding personal injury lawyer costs.
On a no win no fee basis, the lawyer only gets paid if you collect money via a settlement agreement or a court order or jury decision. However, you need to be aware of what percentage of your award will be used to make a full and final payment to your attorney for their services. The average contingency cost agreement gives approximately 30-40% of the total recovery to the attorney or law firm.
What happens if you lose a no win no fee case?
At Owen Hodge, if you don’t win your Personal Injury case, there aren’t any legal fees to pay. Learn more by calling our personal injury law team on 1800 770 780.
How much is my personal injury claim worth?
The amount of settlement you can expect from a personal injury claim will vary depending upon your unique circumstances and case. However, an experienced personal injury attorney will be able to give you an estimate of what they think your case will settle for.
Who pays costs in personal injury claims?
Your claim is brought against the person/organisation that is at fault for your injury. Usually, this person/organisation will have insurance and the insurance company will pay your compensation.
How do I choose a personal injury lawyer in NSW?
This can be a very difficult question to answer but there are ways to help ensure you end up with a personal injury attorney that will meet your legal and personal needs.
- Ask for a personal reference from family/friends
- Ask the lawyer questions about: personal injury claim costs, their rate of success, years of experience etc.
Trust Owen Hodge Lawyers
Being involved in a personal injury claim can be difficult and stressful. But if you are able to engage a lawyer with reasonable personal injury lawyer costs, you will be able to have some peace of mind.
If you have any additional questions about how personal injury lawyers charge or your compensation claim, please contact the law offices of Owen Hodge Lawyers. At Owen Hodge, we are always happy to assist clients in understanding the full ramifications of any and all of your legal needs. Please feel free to call us at your earliest convenience to schedule a consultation at 1800 770 780.