What Costs Are Associated with Personal Injury Cases?

There are a number of different costs associated with a personal injury case. They include:

Attorney’s Fee — Most people would be unable to afford to retain an experienced personal injury attorney on an hourly basis to pursue an injury claim. The attorneys at Parnall Law Firm handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee arrangement allows accident victims to retain experienced legal representation without having to pay for an attorney out of pocket. Personal injury attorneys typically take roughly a third of any amount obtained in a settlement or jury award as payment of the attorney fee. The percentage may vary depending on the stage at which the case is concluded.  The exact percentages and terms are spelled out in a written fee agreement that is reviewed and signed by the client and the attorney to avoid any misunderstandings at the conclusion of a case.

Court Filing Fees — Courts in New Mexico charge a filing fee to file a civil lawsuit, including a process fee to serve a lawsuit and a fee for a jury trial. These expenses are advanced by the attorney, then subtracted from the amount of settlement or court award.

Administrative Expenses — There are a number of miscellaneous expenses typically incurred, such as hiring a court report to take a deposition, making copies of transcripts, getting copies of medical records and gathering other documents.

Expert Witness Fees — The cost of hiring expert witnesses can be a major expense in a personal injury lawsuit. To build a strong case, your attorney may need to hire physicians as medical experts to testify about your injuries and medical treatment and traffic accident reconstructionist and product safety engineers to analyze how your car accident occurred.

The costs of court filing fees, conducting depositions, hiring expert witnesses and paying for any travel expenses are typically paid up front by the law firm, then deducted from the final settlement or jury award.