How much does it cost to hire a car accident attorney?

When an Indiana car accident leaves you seriously injured, you have plenty to worry about. You are facing a long recovery, the loss of your vehicle, and are unable to work. Because the accident was not your fault, you may be considering hiring an Indianapolis car accident attorney to represent you in your settlement claim, but you don’t have the money you think you need to secure a lawyer.

When you call Keller & Keller, however, you won’t have to worry about that. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront to secure an experienced Indianapolis personal injury attorney legal team.

How a Contingency Fee Works

It may sound too good to be true, but we will not ask for any payment to take your car accident case. This way, you can focus on your physical recovery instead of worrying about legal bills on top of everything else. Once we have settled the case to your satisfaction, we will collect our fee from the settlement amount.

In a nutshell, a contingency fee agreement works as follows:

  • Once we have met with you and reviewed your case, we will discuss the contingency fee arrangement. We will explain what we think your case may be worth and the percentage of the settlement that we will collect as payment.
  • We will pay all expenses until the case is settled, including filing fees, medical records fees, expert witness fees, travel costs, and any other expenses.
  • Whether the case is settled out of court or goes to trial, we will not be paid until the case concludes and you get your settlement.

Under a contingency fee arrangement, anyone can afford quality legal representation. After all, you were the victim and you should not have to pay out of pocket to ensure that your case is settled fairly and you get the financial settlement you need to replace what you have lost.  

Our Zero-Fee Guarantee

So, what happens if we are unable to make a recovery on your behalf? Our Zero-Fee Guarantee means that you will never be asked for payment from your own pocket. Simply put, if we don’t win, we don’t get paid. This is your guarantee that we will work hard for the best possible financial settlement for you.

Why Do We Do it?

We believe everyone is entitled to quality legal representation, regardless of income or assets. When you have been injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence or carelessness, it shouldn’t cost you to protect your rights to a full recovery. Under a contingency fee arrangement, it is the defendant who ultimately pays your legal fees, as it should be. This arrangement also motivates us to work hard to secure a generous settlement for you.

Be Aware of These Fee Structures

Personal injury attorney discussing with his client the details of their case at their desk with Judge gavel with scales of justice.Almost every reputable personal injury law firm will work on a contingency fee basis for cases where a monetary judgment is expected. However, for other types of cases, attorneys can require different methods of payment. If you are asked to pay for personal injury representation with one of these methods, you may very well be at the wrong law firm:

  • Hourly. While common for estate planning and other types of legal representation, you should not agree to an hourly rate for a car accident attorney. A great deal of time and effort can go into supporting an injury claim and the hours can accumulate quickly, as will your costs.
  • Flat fee. Attorneys may charge a flat fee for a simple, well-defined legal service, such as the preparation of a will, but a car accident case is rarely simple and cannot usually be quantified by a flat fee.
  • Retainer. Often used in criminal cases, a retainer is an amount of money paid to an attorney up front to secure representation. The money is held by the firm and expenses are paid out of it as needed. Even if there is a promise of a refund when a settlement is reached, you should not pay a personal injury attorney a retainer.
James R. Keller
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