Read Our ReviewsThe first step in understanding the costs involved with hiring and using a personal injury attorney in West Palm Beach is an understanding of the difference between costs and fees. Fees are a percentage of the settlement amount that the lawyer receives. You and the accident attorney agree on the fees prior to any action taken on your part.
Costs are the expenses that a personal injury attorney in West Palm Beach incurs in pursing your case to a final decision. The costs of a personal injury litigation can increase depending on how negotiations go with the party that injured you, the amount of investigation and research that the attorney and their staff have to do, and the fees that courts charge for filing documents.
The attorney may be required to seek the assistance of recognized experts in a given area. An example is a Florida Boating & Cruise Line Accident Lawyer requesting the assistance of a Federal Government expert on boat safety. The attorney must pay for the expert’s time, the time that the expert spends doing research that is pertinent to your case, and any travel expense that is required for a deposition or personal witness by the expert.
A personal injury action can require extensive travel on the part of the attorney to depose witnesses, collect documentation, and appear in the proper courts at the appointed times to file documents for your case. An attorney charges for travel based on the value of their time that is documented by their level of success in winning personal injury cases.
The cost of copies, postage for mailing court documents, postage for communicating with the client, and long distance phone charges for consulting legal experts and researchers are also a part of the costs of winning a personal injury case.
A negotiated settlement before going to court is a preferred outcome for the client and the accident attorney. The case that is argued in court requires preparation and that preparation adds to the costs. Mediator fees can be a necessity in preventing a lengthy court battle.
Research fees, exhibit preparation fees by acknowledged experts, and jury fees are some of the costs involved in a personal injury case that goes to trial. The selection of a jury that is unbiased at best is a long and tedious process. Experts in jury selection may be necessary to provide you with the best jury for your case. This expertise is an added cost.
The costs for a personal injury case are paid above the fees that are decided on before the case begins. The costs can be taken out of the settlement amount so that you do not incur any added expense from your injury.
The real costs in loss of income, medical bills, potential loss of a home, and lifelong disability must be measured against the costs that an attorney incurs in finding justice for your injury.