There’s an old saying: “everyone hates lawyers until they need one.”
This is true for personal injury lawyers as well until someone finds themselves with significant needs following a major injury. After all, navigating the world of negotiations, discovery, settlement offers, and trials is not for everyone.
Why is it that so many people have negative stereotypes of personal injury attorneys? Is it because they recover a fee based upon injuries to others? Before you consider the reasons you may dislike an attorney, take a second to really think about the situation.
Why Do Lawyers Get a Significant Percentage of the Recovery?
We get it: much of the resentment attorneys receive is because of the percentage we receive of the injured individual’s recovery. But it’s not for nothing.
Think of it this way, if you were to hire a lawyer on an hourly basis, could you afford paying $500.00 for a good lawyer? For how long? How could you match the unlimited resources of a huge insurance company? Would you be able to pay for expert witnesses, and other case costs that in significant cases can run as high as several hundred-thousand-dollars?
It’s unfortunate, but taking action against negligent parties is expensive. A contingency fee allows the playing field to be equalized. When you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer, a Plaintiff does not have to reimburse the lawyer for expenses and legal work until the end of the case, and then only if they win! Hiring an attorney means you can actually afford to pursue the maximum compensation to which you are entitled; not some low-ball settlement offer.
While you may not (yet) be a fan of a personal injury lawyers, they are sometimes necessary. At Caputo and Van Der Walde – Injury & Accident Attorneys, you get attorneys who care about the rights of those who have been injured and earn a living while helping others.