If you’re hiring a personal injury attorney in Georgia, you pay nothing upfront. We only earn our fee if we win a verdict or settlement. If we don’t, you owe nothing. We also pay the costs and expenses of your case.
We guarantee that you will receive more of the verdict or settlement than we do in attorney’s fees. If necessary, we’ll reduce our attorney’s fees to make sure that happens.
Quick Answer: What Do Personal Injury Lawyers Charge?
- No upfront cost
- No fee unless you win
- 25% – 33% if settled before lawsuit
- 33% – 40% if lawsuit is filed
- Costs advanced by our firm
Example: What You Actually Receive From The Settlement
Here’s what this looks like in a typical case:
- Settlement: $100,000
- Attorney’s fee (33⅓%): $33,333
- Case costs: $3,000
- You receive: $63,667
Personal Injury Attorney’s Fees Without A Lawsuit
If we settle your case without a lawsuit, the fee is usually 33%. However, in some cases we charge a lower fee, such as 25% or 29%. We may charge a lower fee when:
- We believe the case will settle quickly and easily;
- The case involves a death or very serious injuries and there’s a small amount of insurance, meaning the case should resolve quickly;
- We represent multiple people injured in the same accident;
Personal Injury Attorney’s Fees With A Lawsuit
If we file a lawsuit, the fee usually increases to 33% – 40%. The fee increases because lawsuits require much more work, are more expensive, take longer to settle or go to trial and involve more risk than settling your case without filing a lawsuit.
In a complicated case or a case where there’s a dispute about who’s at fault, we’re more likely to charge a higher fee because the defense is more likely to fight and drag out the process.
Personal Injury Attorney’s Fees On Appeal
If a case is appealed, we charge an additional 5% fee.
An appeal is where one party is unhappy with the court or jury’s decision and appeals it to the Georgia Court of Appeals or Georgia Supreme Court. Appeals involve a different process and significantly more work.
Most personal injury cases do not involve an appeal so this additional fee is unlikely.
Case Expenses
We pay all the expenses for your case. We are repaid the expenses out of the verdict or settlement. If we don’t win the case, you don’t owe us for the expenses. Case expenses can include:
- The cost to get your medical records and bills;
- hiring accident reconstruction experts and other expert witnesses;
- the cost to file the lawsuit and have the defendant served with it;
- court reporter and deposition fees;
- Fees charged by your doctor for consultations with your attorneys, depositions and testifying at trial;
What Gets Paid Out Of A Personal Injury Settlement
In addition to attorney’s fees and case expenses, there may be other amounts that Georgia law requires you to pay from your settlement. They include:
- A lien filed by a hospital or doctor
- Your health insurance company’s claim for reimbursement, which is a process called subrogation
- Medicare and Medicaid’s claim for reimbursement
- Worker’s compensation, if it paid your medical bills and lost income
Learn more about what you have to pay back after your personal injury case here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Attorney Fees
Do I pay anything upfront to hire a personal injury lawyer?
No. We do not charge any upfront fees. You can retain us and move forward with your case without paying anything out of pocket.
Do I owe anything if I lose my case?
No. If we do not recover money for you through a settlement or verdict, you do not owe us attorney’s fees or case expenses. We take 100% of the financial risk in your case.
Are case expenses separate from attorney’s fees?
Yes. Attorney’s fees are a percentage of the total recovery. Case expenses are the costs of building and pursuing the case, such as medical records, expert witnesses, and filing fees. We advance these expenses and are reimbursed from the settlement or verdict.
Why does the percentage increase if a lawsuit is filed?
Filing a lawsuit requires significantly more work, time and expense. It involves formal discovery, depositions, expert testimony, and preparation for trial. It also increases the risk, as there is no guaranteed outcome.
Can attorney’s fees be reduced?
In some cases, yes. For example, if a case resolves quickly or involves limited insurance coverage, we may charge a lower fee.
What happens if my case settles quickly?
If a case settles quickly and without significant dispute, the fee is often on the lower end of the range. In some cases, we charge less than the standard 33% fee.
How are attorney’s fees paid?
Attorney’s fees are paid out of the settlement or verdict at the end of the case. You do not write a check or pay anything out of pocket.
What if there is not enough insurance to cover my damages?
It’s an unfortunate fact of personal injury cases that there is sometimes not enough insurance to fully and fairly compensate you. We look for all available sources of insurance, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and other potential claims. We guarantee that you will receive more of the recovery than we do in attorney’s fees, and we will reduce our fee if necessary to ensure that happens.