A car accident claim in a fault-based insurance state like California can quickly become complex. Under California’s pure comparative negligence insurance system, an insurance company investigates the accident with protecting profits as their motive. This means they could assign an undue percentage of blame to you as an injury victim so they can reduce the compensation by your percentage of fault. For this reason, after an accident with significant economic and non-economic damages, many car accident survivors seek legal representation through a Van Nuys accident lawyer to protect their rights and best interests. Often, one of the first questions is, “How much does a car accident attorney cost in California?”
Understanding Contingency-Based Payment for California Car Accident Attorneys
Most personal injury lawyers—including car accident attorneys—offer free consultations. During this consultation, the attorney evaluates the merits of the case to determine if the injury victim has a strong claim against the at-fault party. Instead of charging upfront fees, car accident attorneys and other personal injury lawyers typically use contingency-based payment systems. This means the law firm takes on all financial risks and the lawyer works at no cost to the client unless and until they recover the car accident victim’s compensation through a settlement from the insurance company or a jury award in court. Then, they subtract their fee from the compensation. This system incentivizes the attorney to recover the maximum compensation for their client as promptly as possible.
What Percentage of the Car Accident Compensation Does an Attorney Charge?
Car accident lawyers in California charge a range of percentages, typically dependent upon their level of experience. For instance, an attorney in the first five years of practice often charges from 25-33% of the settlement or court award for damages. Attorneys with mid-level experience from five to 15 years usually charge between 33-38%. A more experienced lawyer with 15-25 years of practice typically charges between 35-40%, while a veteran attorney with 25 or more years may charge as much as 45%.
Depending on the level of experience you want in a car accident attorney, in California you may pay anywhere between 25-45%; however, some attorneys may vary from these common fees, especially when a case is particularly complex.
Speak to your prospective attorney about their fees during your initial consultation to avoid any misunderstandings or miscommunication.
How Much Can I Recover From a Car Accident Claim In California?
When weighing the decision of whether or not it’s worthwhile to hire a California car accident lawyer, it helps to consider what compensation might be available to you. A skilled attorney pursues all avenues for compensation, including carefully calculating your damages to maximize the amount you can recover in your claim. While no two settlements or court awards for damages are the same and vary widely depending on the severity of the accident, common damages include past and future medical expenses, past and future income loss, compensation for pain and suffering, and sometimes additional damages like diminished quality of life, PTSD, or compensation for catastrophic injuries like limb loss, the loss of one of the senses, or disfigurement.
Even after an attorney subtracts their fee from your compensation you are likely to collect far more compensation than you’d recover without a Van Nuys injury lawyer representing your best interests.
