Work injury attorneys charge a contingency fee rather than by the hour. This means you don’t pay them while working together, but you’ll have to give them a percentage of your settlement. Read on to learn about how this payment scheme works and what percentage of your settlement work injury attorneys in Houston typically take.
What Is a Contingency Fee Basis?
A contingency fee means the fee you pay is contingent on you winning your case. Therefore, if you don’t win your case, then your attorney doesn’t get paid. This is why attorneys are hesitant to take on cases they don’t feel have enough evidence to win any kind of settlement. They don’t want to spend their time working only for you to receive no compensation and for them to end up without payment.
The contingency fee is taken as a percentage of your overall settlement. So, if you win $100,000 and your attorney’s contingency fee is 50%, you may walk away from your case with $50,000 instead.
What Percentage Do Work Injury Attorneys in Houston Take?
Attorneys and firms have different rules for how much they charge. In general, most attorneys operating under personal injury law in Texas take between 25% and 50% of your final settlement. Because 25 to 50% is average, you may end up working with an attorney who takes a little more than 50%. Find out more about what your attorney may charge by getting in touch with the law firm for a free consultation.
Does Paying the Contingency Fee Mean I’ll Walk Away with a Lower Settlement?
You won’t necessarily walk away with a lower settlement when you have to pay a contingency fee. In some cases, yes, the amount you’ll walk away with after winning will be reduced. However, in other cases, your employer may be ordered to pay your legal fees on top of the rest of your settlement.
So, if your settlement is $100,000 and your attorney is due to take 50% of that, then you’ll actually win $150,000 instead. This additional $50,000 is intended to cover 50% of the original $100,000. You may also just win the $100,000, and your employer’s insurance company will pay your attorney the $50,000 directly.
Do I Have To Pay Any Fees While Working With My Attorney?
You won’t pay any fees for your attorney’s aid while they’re working on your case. However, you may still have to pay filing fees, postage, and court fees that come up throughout your case. This will cost you substantially less than paying an attorney by the hour, so it’s definitely a fair price to pay to work with somebody who won’t get paid unless you win.
What Are the Chances That I’ll Win My Case?
If an attorney has agreed to take on your case, then the chances that you’ll win a settlement are already higher than for somebody whose case has been turned down. However, the exact likelihood of a win is unknown. How much evidence you have, the strength of your evidence, and several other factors influence your chances of winning compensation.
The good news is that if your boss has Workers’ Compensation Insurance, then you’re practically guaranteed compensation. Working with an attorney may net you a larger settlement than you’d get if you hadn’t consulted an attorney, and that’s why it’s always smartest to contact a legal professional even if you’ve already been offered a settlement or Workers’ Compensation payments by your employer.
How Much Could I Win?
With Workers’ compensation, your average weekly wage for 13 weeks before your injury will be taken into account, including bonuses. This is what your Workers’ Compensation payments will be based on. However, depending on your case, you can win more than you’ll walk away with in Workers’ Compensation payments.
You’ll be paid Workers’ Compensation until you can return to work or for 104 weeks if your injury hasn’t yet healed. Note that you must claim Workers’ Compensation within 30 days of becoming injured on the job. Contacting an attorney as soon as you can after obtaining your injury is vital because of this limited time frame.
How Much Can I Win Outside of Workers’ Compensation?
How much you can win outside of Workers’ Compensation varies. Your attorney can evaluate your case, compare it against similar ones they’ve worked on, and give you an estimate of how much you may win in compensation. If your injury is severe and has impacted your life for the foreseeable future, and you’ll win more than somebody with a minor injury without a lasting impact.
Most attorneys in Texas charge anywhere from 25% to 50% of your settlement. However, your employer may have to pay your legal fees, so the amount you win may not actually be reduced by these fees. Remember to ask about your attorney’s fees upfront so you can be prepared just in case your employer isn’t ordered to pay the bill.
