Why Are Some People Reluctant to Retain a Personal Injury Attorney?
Interviewer: Why do you think that people are reluctant about hiring a lawyer for their case? What are some of the reasons that you can think of?
Most Personal Injury Attorneys Work on a Contingency Fee Basis and Do Not Require Any Upfront Payment
Stephen: I think the main issue is that people don’t think that they can afford a lawyer, but of course we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that there’s no fee unless we win. The typical contract in Harris County is a certain percentage if the case is settled without having to formally file suit and litigate. There’s another percentage that once a lawsuit is filed and you take it to that next level, the percentage goes up.
Most Attorneys Receive Standard Percentages for Settling a Case or Going to Trial
Interviewer: For people reading this, it’ll be good to know that there is a standard percentage so there’s no real inclination to go price shopping when looking for an attorney.
Stephen: The standard percentage is thirty-three point three percent if a case is resolved without filing a lawsuit. Once a lawsuit is filed the standard percentage comes forty percent. What a lot of the TV advertisers in Houston have started doing is they’re charging higher percentages because those people don’t know any better. If you hire a lawyer off TV then it’s because you don’t know any other lawyers.
