If you’ve been injured in an accident in Manhattan Beach, you’ve probably been advised by friends and family to hire a personal injury attorney. You should take their advice! A personal injury attorney can help you in many ways after an accident, including protecting your rights to obtain the compensation you deserve for the damages caused by your injuries.
At the Law Offices of Scott Dinsmore, one of the most common questions we get asked by prospective clients is “how much does it cost to hire a Manhattan Beach personal injury attorney?” If your injuries have left you unable to work, and the bills are piling up, you may be telling yourself the last thing you can afford is to hire an expensive lawyer.
Fortunately, an experienced accident lawyer does not have to be a financial hardship during an already difficult time.
Most Personal Injury Attorneys Work on a Contingency Basis
If you’ve hired a lawyer for a business matter, estate proceeding, or to defend yourself against a criminal charge, you were probably required to pay a part of their fee — called a retainer — as a condition for representing your case. Personal injury attorneys are a little different.
Most personal injury attorneys (including Scott Dinsmore) accept cases on a contingency basis. This means they collect their fees as a percentage of the compensation they recover for their client. These fees vary, depending on the stage the case settles, but are usually around one-third of the settlement before filing a lawsuit.
Your attorney will tell you upfront how much of a percentage they will collect for their services.
Fees to Expect in a Personal Injury Case
Personal injury claims also include a number of other costs, including:
- Deposition costs
- Transcript costs
- Court costs
- Hiring investigators and expert witnesses
- Costs of gathering information and evidence
- Filing fees
- Copy and postage fees
- Travel expenses
- Trial preparation costs
- Expert witnesses
A majority of personal injury cases are settled before they go to court, so it’s likely you’ll avoid having to pay any trial-related fees. Depending on the arrangement you have when you hire your personal injury attorney, you may be billed for this cost, or have the charges deducted from your final settlement amount.
Speak With a Manhattan Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Manhattan Beach or the South Bay area, contact the law offices of Scott Dinsmore, APC without delay. While we can’t tell you how much your case will cost, or how much your settlement will be — every case is different — we can promise you that we will fight to get you the total compensation you deserve for the damages caused by your injuries. We’ve been protecting the rights of Manhattan Beach residents for more than 30 years, securing millions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
Contact us at sdinsmore@lawinmb.com or call us at (310) 318-1220 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case.