Understanding Contingency Fees in Georgia

Personal injury due to someone else’s negligence can have serious consequences. The damages are not just physical. An injury can haunt you for years to come. Medical bills, lost income, surgeries and therapies are just the beginning of the financial pile-up. Your personal injury claim deserves recognition in court. But your savings account says otherwise. What happens if you can’t afford to pay an attorney upfront?

Luckily, you have options. Georgia law allows attorneys to defend personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Before you make any decisions, it’s important to understand what exactly contingency fees are.

What is a contingency fee?

A contingency fee is an agreement between you and your attorney. There’s typically no upfront fees or expenses. The contract outlines that a fee will be charged only if the lawsuit is successful or there is a favorable settlement. Usually, the fee is a percentage of the compensation you recover afterwards. A reasonable percentage is anywhere from 33 to 45 percent.

This is helpful to Georgia residents who suffer from a personal injury, but are not sure about how to pay for legal representation. Anyone, regardless of their financial situation, should consider defending their personal injury. You deserve compensation for your pain and suffering.

How to start

The firm of your choosing will thoroughly go over your potential case and determine if it has a chance for a favorable verdict in court. Although it is impossible to predict the outcome, you will be given legal guidance and advice on next steps.

Both you and your attorney will come to a contingency fee agreement, and the attorney will pay for the upfront expenses of the lawsuit. You will not be charged until the case is settled. Your attorney then gets a percentage of the damages.

Depending on the case, contingency fee agreements work well for situations in which the verdict will be favorable despite lack of funds for legal defense.

Written by Findlaw