The cost of hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer depends on how your case is structured. Some motorcycle accident lawyers charge hourly rates, billing you for every phone call, email, and hour spent on your file. Others charge retainers, where you constantly replenish a pool of funds as your case progresses, often before you know whether you’ll recover anything at all. Either setup can leave you paying out of pocket while you’re still recovering from your injuries.
Our firm does neither of those things. We handle motorcycle accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, so you owe us nothing while your case moves forward. We only receive our attorney’s fees from the settlement or award we secure for you, and we advance the costs your case requires along the way. If we do not win, you don’t pay our attorney’s fees, and you owe nothing back to us for those advanced expenses.
What is a Contingency-Fee Agreement?
A contingency-fee agreement is what it sounds like: payment for your lawyer’s help is contingent upon the outcome of your case. This isn’t just a payment plan. It aligns your lawyer’s interests with yours. Since your lawyer only gets paid when you do, they’re motivated to pursue the strongest possible outcome, and you never have to pay legal fees out of pocket while your case is pending.
Consider this scenario to understand how these arrangements play out:
- You were hurt in a motorcycle accident.
- You meet with a lawyer, and they agree to take your case.
- After reviewing your case’s obligations, they propose to take 20 percent of your settlement.
- Your damages amount to $1 million, and your lawyer secures that amount either through negotiations or a trial.
- Your lawyer draws payment from your compensation and gives you the rest.
In this simplified example, you would walk away with $800,000. However, your actual result will depend heavily on your case’s specific facts, your degree of fault, and the expenses advanced along the way.
The core principle holds in every case: you never write a check to your lawyer, and their attorney’s fees always come out of what they recover for you, not what you started with.
For a free legal consultation, call 404-214-2001
What Goes Into Determining Your Contingency-Fee Rate
Our law firm determines our contingency-fee rate based on numerous aspects of your case, including:
Your Filing Deadline
How long you have to file a motorcycle accident injury claim depends on the timeline set by the insurance company. With lawsuits, though, the story is different. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 gives injured motorcyclists two years to file their civil cases. This means that if you contact a law firm shortly after your collision, they have a generous time frame to build your case.
However, if you contact a firm and the deadline is looming, they’ll need to work quickly to build your case. This requires late nights at the office, rescheduling other obligations, and last-minute consulting. Your lawyer will take these aspects into account when determining their rates.
Your Role in the Collision
In Georgia, if you get into an accident, your portion of fault reduces your final settlement under the state’s contributory negligence rules. For instance, if you are 20 percent at fault for a $10,000 wreck, and the other party is at 80 percent fault, the insurer would reduce your award by 20 percent, leaving you $8,000 in compensation.
However, if you’re found to be more than 50 percent at fault, you’re barred from recovering anything at all.
Your lawyer will look closely at your role in the accident when determining their contingency fees. The less fault you carry, the larger your potential settlement, and the more room there is for their attorney’s fees to come from.
Your Case’s Obligations
No two cases are the same. Even a seemingly simple rear-end collision can quickly turn into a hotly contested court case. When drawing up your payment plan, your lawyer will evaluate your case’s obligations and complications.
Your case may require:
- Expert consultants: We can use testimony from accident reconstruction specialists, engineers, and healthcare providers to give insight into your case. You won’t pay them directly. Instead, we advance the cost of these professionals and recover it from your settlement only if we win.
- Gathering medical records: Requesting and organizing your treatment records, billing statements, and provider notes takes time and often comes with administrative fees. We handle this process and cover those costs up front, so you can stay focused on your recovery.
- Going to court: It’s not free to file a civil lawsuit, and court fees can add up quickly. We advance those costs as your case requires them, then deduct that amount from your settlement if your case succeeds.
These costs, and how they’re handled, should be spelled out clearly in your contingency-fee agreement, so you know exactly what to expect before your case moves forward.
What Compensation Can I Get in a Contingency-Fee Agreement?
Your contingency-fee arrangement has no bearing on the types of damages you can recover. For example, your lawyer won’t withhold your lost wages in exchange for their help.
Compensation in your case may cover:
- Medical bills: Inpatient care, bone-setting, skin grafts, medications, and doctor’s visits all fall under this category.
- Lost income: Wages you’ve missed, both now and going forward, count toward this type of damages.
- Loss of future earning capacity: If your injuries limit your ability to earn down the road, you may seek compensation for this loss.
- Pain and suffering: The physical and emotional toll of your injuries will factor into your settlement.
- Property damage expenses: A damaged or totaled motorcycle falls under this heading, along with helmets and personal items.
- Other out-of-pocket expenses: You may seek additional costs tied directly to your accident and recovery, such as transportation to doctor’s appointments.
In cases involving particularly reckless conduct, you may also be entitled to punitive damages, though this is not a standard or guaranteed recovery.
Our Law Firm Can Render These Services to Motorcycle Accident Victims
To advance your case, our law firm will:
Offer a Free Case Review
Either in person or over the phone, we can explore your options at no cost. Our firm will listen to your story and outline possible legal strategies.
Explain Their Terms of Payment
You will know about your payment plan from the moment your case starts. We will evaluate your case’s requirements, calculate its value, and propose a plan that benefits both of us.
Negotiate a Settlement
We settle many of our motorcycle accident claims through negotiations. This service involves proving negligence, managing communications, and identifying bad faith insurance practices.
File a Lawsuit
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of filing a lawsuit. Our lawyers can manage everything involved with litigation, including:
- Depositions
- Gathering third-party testimony
- Arguing your case
- Cross-examining witnesses
- Objecting to unfair proceedings
- Advocating for your legal rights
- Abiding by civil law protocol
Whatever your case requires, we handle it so you can stay focused on your recovery.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Call Kaine Law to Begin Your Free Case Review
We’re ready to pursue compensation after your motorcycle accident in Georgia. Kaine Law works on contingency, so you never pay a fee out of pocket, and we advance every cost your case requires along the way. If we don’t win, you owe nothing back. That’s the peace of mind we bring to every client, on top of the direct, one-on-one attention you deserve while you focus on healing.
During your free case review, feel free to ask how much it costs to hire a motorcycle accident attorney from our firm. To begin, dial (404) 882-2970.
Call or text 404-214-2001 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
