San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

Filing a lawsuit can be an expensive and traumatic ordeal because many people may not anticipate the high cost of attorneys and the price of litigating in court. Not only do the parties have to pay attorney fees by the hour, but they pay for the cost of the staff supporting the attorney, the documentation produced for trial and other miscellaneous costs such as expert testimony, or travel for the attorney. In many of these cases, even if one of the parties wins the case, there is no guarantee that the other side will be ordered to pay for their attorneys fees, and even if the other side is ordered to pay, it is unlikely that the other side actually will. That’s why the attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP will take on your personal injury case on a contingency fee basis. Call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

Having a case based on contingent fees means that the attorney and client agree to a certain amount of payment before the case even starts. Ordinarily, an attorney charges by time increments, usually by every six minutes. However, under the contingent fee arrangement, the attorney is not paid by the hour and does not get paid upfront through a retainer. Instead, the attorney and his staff are not paid unless he wins the case for his client. The fees may be based on a percentage of the win (for example, 30% of a $1 million verdict), or a specific amount regardless of what the client has won (for example, $50,000 flat fee at the end of the case). Historically, contingent fee cases were illegal, but that has changed over time. Contingent fee cases allow people who cannot normally obtain counsel to hire a lawyer; it also gives attorneys more incentive to seek clients’ success and encourage those clients with a higher likelihood of success. Contingent fees also enable the client to share the risk of losing with the attorney, who may be a better person to assess the risk.

Contingent fee cases are regulated by the state bar, and prevent attorneys from charging exorbitant amounts of money from their clients. It would be unfair for an attorney to take almost all of the money awarded in the verdict. In order to make sure that you have an experienced and reputable attorney on your side, you need to call Greenberg & Rudman LLP immediately for a free consultation. Pick up the phone and call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free and confidential consultation from one of our experienced attorneys. We’re here to help you. Visit our website, www.alawpro.com to read about the different types of personal injury lawsuits and the different injuries that may result.