The decision of whether to hire an attorney following a bad accident can be a stressful one for most.
Concerns often include the assumption that hiring a lawyer is expensive. Too many people are not aware that in most cases, hiring a personal injury attorney won’t cost anything out of pocket.
In Tennessee, and other states, attorneys often do not charge any upfront fees, retainers, or hourly rates to represent accident victims.
That’s because most of them work on a contingency fee basis.
Hiring a lawyer “on contingency” means that you are going to pay for your lawyer’s services as a percentage of the settlement or verdict he or she reaches for you. If they fail to win your case, they don’t get paid.
Contingency Fee Cases
The types of situations in which an attorney may represent a client on contingency include:
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and falls
- Wrongful death
- Head-on and rear-end collisions
- Hit-and-runs
- Multi-car wrecks
- Truck accidents
- Fatal crashes
Working with an attorney on contingency is just like working with an attorney who is getting paid a flat fee or by the hour. In fact, lawyers are paid contingent on their ability to win and are often more motivated to get you the maximum payout possible for your injuries.
Your Settlement
Whether you get a fair settlement makes the difference between being able to afford treatment and live your best life and struggling with medical and other debt for years to come.
After the win, an attorney working on contingency will extract his fee from the settlement. The fee is typically around 33% of the settlement. So, for example, if your attorney settles your case for $500,000 you would get $333,000 and they would get $166,000.
If you’re still feeling unsure about whether to hire a lawyer, the same lawyers who take cases on contingency also often offer free and no-obligation case consultations. Whether you hire the attorney or not, there will be no fee charged.
When to Hire a Lawyer
There are many different laws and liabilities to consider after a crash. There are federal and state rules and regulations, as well as local bylaws. If you are unfamiliar with accident law, you should seriously consider hiring a lawyer with a track record of success in Nashville. The insurance companies all have lawyers trained to search for weak spots in your case to justify a small payout or claim dismissal.
You need a lawyer who speaks the insurance company’s language and can present irrefutable evidence to justify a full claim payout that covers your past, current and future accident-related medical needs, as well as pain and suffering, lost wages and diminished future earning potential.
Free Consultation
An experienced accident and injury lawyer who knows Tennessee law and Metro Nashville like the back of his hand can help you win your case. The Law Office of Eric Beasley has been representing accident victims in Middle Tennessee since opening in Goodlettsville more than 20 years ago.
Our firm offers free consultations and often represents wrongful death, personal injury, car wreck and other accident victims on a contingency fee basis. We do this because we believe people in our community deserve access to aggressive legal representation when taking on insurance companies, regardless of how much money they have in the bank.
Attorney Eric Beasley has a reputation for being honest and straightforward with his clients. Many of the accident victims he represents were referred to our firm by past satisfied clients, as well as other lawyers.
If you or a loved one has recently been in an accident in the Metro Nashville, Davidson County or Middle Tennessee region, contact The Law Office of Eric Beasley for a free consultation.