Hiring a personal injury attorney from Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers requires no upfront payment. We do not charge clients an hourly fee or work on a retainer.
Instead, our law firm (like most other Connecticut personal injury law firms works on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay any costs or fees unless we help you recover money successfully.
Learn more about how personal injury lawyers charge and what factors impact the fee we receive here.
Understanding Associated Costs in Personal Injury Cases
Pursuing a personal injury case can be a long and expensive process. Many people shy away from hiring legal representation because they believe it is too costly.
However, personal injury lawyers are motivated to help you secure the highest settlement possible because their fee is derived from what you receive.
Important Information About Personal Injury Lawyer Costs
When you are ready to hire a personal injury attorney in Connecticut, you should know a few things about fees and payments. These things include the following:
- Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis
- Agreements between clients and attorneys will detail the amount of the fee
- Most personal injury attorneys ask for 33% to 40% of the total settlement
- Some other court costs and fees, like investigatory fees and filing costs, must be paid by the client
Personal injury fees may seem high; however, most attorneys are willing to negotiate and be flexible with what they receive. Also, if a case is predicted to be worth more, the attorney will likely provide legal services for a lower rate.
Common Costs in Connecticut Personal Injury Cases
Along with the attorney’s fee, there are other costs related to a personal injury case. These fees are detailed here.
Medical Records
Medical providers don’t usually allow access to your medical records for free. Most providers charge around $0.65 per page, which is considered illegal based on 42 U.S.C.A. Section 17953(e)(2).
According to this statute, all requested documents must be provided in an electronic format and cannot exceed the labor costs. According to the HITECH Act, patients can access electronic records for a reasonable fee.
Your attorney can ensure that the price charged for medical records is reasonable. The more a medical provider charges, the more the cost eats into what you receive. Don’t let this happen to you.
Police Reports
In Connecticut, the cost of obtaining police reports is relatively low. Usually, it ranges from just $10 to $20.
Investigator
In some personal injury cases, you need an investigator to gather evidence. To ensure evidence can be used if your case goes to trial, the person gathering it cannot be the injured party or their attorney. Investigators can be used to take photos of where an accident occurred and gather sworn statements from witnesses.
The cost to use and hire an investigator in Connecticut ranges from $300 to $750. It all depends on the scope of the investigation that is needed.
Cost to Serve and File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Connecticut
The cost to file a lawsuit in Connecticut varies. You must pay to get put on the docket and serve papers. The cost for serving papers in the state range from $100 up to $1,000. What you must pay depends on the number of people involved and how far a marshal must travel. In the state of Connecticut, all papers must be served by a marshal.
Jury Claim Fee
Sometimes, defendants must pay the jury claim fee; however, this isn’t always the case. Some cases are decided by a judge, while others are by a jury. You should discuss this decision with your attorney, as the cost of a personal injury claim decided by a jury is usually the more expensive option.
Depositions
Sometimes, depositions are needed for your personal injury case. With depositions, your attorney can find out what happened and have defendants and witnesses commit to what they say while under oath.
This is a crucial part of discovery. However, when a deposition is taken, it requires the presence of court reporters, who create the transcript. All this must be paid by the defendant, and some deposition costs can exceed $1,000. If multiple parties go through this, the cost can be high.
Experts
Hiring an expert to help with your personal injury case is usually when costs become high. Sometimes, a personal injury case requires experts to testify on damages, medicine, and liability. Doctors will charge a lot to provide testimony in your case. Also, expert costs vary in the field, so it is impossible to provide a range. You can talk to your attorney to learn more about the cost of hiring an expert witness to help with your Connecticut personal injury claim.
The Potential Costs Associated with Not Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
It may seem expensive to hire a Connecticut personal injury lawyer. However, the drawbacks of failing to have this legal representation are (usually) much higher.
An example would be if you were involved in a motorcycle accident and then experienced further issues due to medical malpractice. When medical costs occur, the insurance company doesn’t offer much in terms of options, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.
If you are injured, and the injury resulted from another person’s or party’s fault, you deserve to receive damages for your pain and suffering. An experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer can help you do this.
The right personal injury lawyer will provide quality legal advice to help ease your worries during an initial consultation (that is usually free). During this meeting, you can discuss the next steps for your personal injury lawsuit, discuss potential fees, and get answers to any questions you have. During this meeting, you can also learn more about the type of client-attorney relationship you should expect.
When searching for a personal injury attorney, you can turn to us if you want to avoid the frustration of a long search. At Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers, we have represented thousands of clients and provided them with successful personal injury cases. We can provide the same legal services and solutions for you.
Contact Our Connecticut Personal Injury Attorneys for Help with Your Claim
As you can see from the information above, the cost of your personal injury claim varies. The unique factors of your case will determine the cost.
While this is true, our legal team provides you with the best representation to achieve your case’s most desirable outcome.
The first step is to contact our office and schedule a free initial consultation. We can discuss your situation and provide information about how to move forward with a claim.
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