People who have been seriously hurt through no fault of their own should schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Bellingham, WA. During this consultation, the person will learn whether they deserve compensation beyond what the insurance company is offering. If the individual and the attorney decide to work together, a contract must be signed and the new client can expect to pay the lawyer a specified percentage of the settlement when the case is over.
Crunching the Numbers
The lawyer will only accept the case if they can add enough value to what the insurer is already offering.
For example, the insurance company may have offered a settlement of $20,000, whereas the injured person wants $30,000. Personal injury attorneys are typically paid one-third of the settlement. In this situation, that would be nearly $10,000 of a $30,000 settlement. Although this is beneficial for the lawyer, it does not help the client at all. A settlement of $40,000, however, brings the client almost an extra $7,000 after lawyer fees.
Contingency Fees
If the lawyer is not able to increase the original offer, they will not receive any payment. This arrangement is known as a contingency fee, in which the payment is contingent upon the results.
The Advantage for Clients
The advantage of this fee structure for the client is not having to pay any retainer fees or hourly rates. That sort of requirement might prevent the individual from hiring a lawyer because of financial constraints. Anyone who wants to schedule a free initial consultation can contact an organization such as Allen Law Firm and click here to get started.
Concluding Thoughts
These lawyers have become tired of seeing accident victims further victimized by large corporate insurance companies trying to pay unreasonably low settlements. A personal injury lawyer in Bellingham, WA does whatever it takes to convince the insurer to pay the money the client deserves. Eventually, this may include filing a lawsuit against the company if satisfactory results are not achieved through negotiations. Most personal injury cases are settled out of court, however, even if a lawsuit is filed. You can also follow them on Twitter.
