Most Maryland auto accident injury attorneys are paid through contingency fees. A contingency fee basically means that the client does not pay anything to the attorney unless there is a settlement with the insurance company or judgment from the court. When there is a settlement or judgment, a Maryland accident attorney is typically entitled to a percentage of that total settlement or judgment amount. When an injured person is considering hiring a Maryland accident injury lawyer, he or she should read the fee agreement very carefully. Before signing the fee agreement, be sure to check what percentage of the settlement the attorney is charging as a fee.
Some Maryland auto accident injury attorneys will charge fees that are too high. If the Maryland auto accident attorney's fee agreement includes a fee of more than 33% for a case that settles, that Maryland accident injury lawyer is a rip-off artist. Most Maryland accident injury cases settle and a fair Maryland auto accident attorney will charge a 33% fee.
Usually, a Maryland auto accident lawyer's fee agreement will have a different fee for a case that goes into litigation. When a case goes into litigation, that means that the case did not settle because of a disputed issue. Common issues insurance companies dispute are low property damage, liability, and reasonableness of medical treatment. A case that is put into litigation will be decided by a judge or jury. Litigation requires much more work including pleadings, discovery, trial preparation, travel, and trial. The additional work often increases the attorney fee to 40% of the total judgment. If your Maryland accident lawyer is charging you more than a 40% fee for a case in litigation, or more than a 33% fee for a case that settles, that attorney is ripping you off. The Maryland accident attorneys at Portner & Shure are both fair and experienced. If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident contact the Maryland accident attorneys at Portner & Shure.
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