Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Miami
It should be free to hire a car accident lawyer in Miami because they work on Contingency.
This article will discuss how much it costs to hire a car accident lawyer if you were in a car accident and got injured by someone else’s negligence. We will talk about what a contingency fee contract is, and how it works under different scenarios. First and foremost, if you’re wondering how much it costs to hire a car accident lawyer, you need to understand that a car accident lawyer is a personal injury lawyer. Personal injury lawyers in the state of Florida use a standard form Supreme Court approved Florida bar contingency fee contract. In other words, most lawyers use the same contract put out by the Florida bar for all personal injury cases except in product liability or medical malpractice cases which use a variation of the form contract. Most lawyers for car accident cases will use the standard form contingency fee agreement, but a medical malpractice case or product liability case may use a modified form of the standard Florida bar contingency fee agreement due to the higher level of complexity and costs those cases can have.
What is a contingency fee contract?
A contingency fee contract in a personal injury car accident case simply means that there are no upfront attorneys fees to pay, like a retainer fee or hourly rate. Instead, the lawyer only gets paid at the end of a case a percentage of what he or she may have recovered for you. In other words, it’s like the lawyer is working on commission and only gets paid if they successfully handle the case. The measure of success is the amount of money they recover on your behalf. Think of it as being similar to a realtor who only gets paid a commission if they sell your house. They call it a contingency fee agreement because the payment to the lawyer is contingent on the outcome of the case resolving successfully for the client. The best part is there is no risk to the injured client in signing a personal injury contingency fee contract because nothing comes out of their pocket. And if no money is recovered, they do not owe the personal injury lawyer any fee. A personal injury client should never have to go into their own pocket to hire the lawyer if they do not have the funds. This was specifically designed this way by Florida law to provide access to the courts for those who cannot afford it.
What percentage do personal injury lawyers get in a contingency fee agreement?
In a standard Florida bar approved contingency fee agreement for a car accident case there is a sliding scale depending on how much the case settles for and at what stage of litigation. Also, there is an exception on how much lawyers can charge in cases against a government due to sovereign immunity laws which cap the amount of damages an injured person can receive in a car accident involving a city, county or state vehicle. Since the damages are capped, the attorneys fees is capped at a lower amount.
Below are some examples of the percentages found in a standard Florida bar approved, personal injury, car accident contingency fee contract. A contingent fee is computed, before costs and expenses are deducted, as follows:
(a) 33-1/3% of any recovery up to $1 million until the time of filing of an answer or the demand for appointment of arbitrators, whichever comes first;
(b) 40% of any recovery up to $1 million from time of answer through the trial of the case or arbitration hearing;
(c) 30% of any portion recovered between $1 and $2 million;
(d) 20% of any portion recovered in excess of $2 million;
(d) if all defendants admit liability at the time of filing an answer and request a trial on damages: (1) 33-1/3% of any recovery up to $1 million through trial, (2) 20% of any portion recovered between $1 and $2 million, (3) 15% of any portion recovered in excess of $2 million;
(e) 25% of recovery against any governmental entity where so required by law;
In cases that the lawyer anticipates complex and expensive liability and damage issues, such as in medical malpractice cases and product liability cases, the percentages that the lawyer may charge are greater. Often in medical malpractice and product liability cases are handled on the straight 40%, and even sometimes 50%. These are special contingency fee contracts that require additional language in the paperwork.
Do I have to pay my Miami car accident lawyer if they lose the case.
No. A car accident personal injury lawyer does not get paid any money if they do not recover any money for you. For example, if the case gets dismissed, or they lose the case at trial, you do not owe your attorney. any money if you signed a standard contingency fee agreement.
How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer in Miami?
Contact Perkins Law Offices
The primary lawyer in the firm, Alex Perkins has well over 20 years of experience in litigating all types of personal injury cases from car accidents, to medical malpractice, to negligent security, to cruise ship rape and sex assault, to construction zone accidents, to dog bites. You name the case and the type of injury Mr. Perkins has probably encountered it. Perkins Law Offices always gives a free consultation and doesn’t charge any attorneys fees or cost unless we win. If we don’t win money for you, you do not owe us anything. Please feel free to set up a call or video conference or come in for an appointment by calling 305-741-5297 or emailing perkins@perkinslawoffices.com
Phone: (855) 741-LAWS (5297)
Address: 1728 Coral Way, Suite 702. Miami, FL 33145
