Many individuals injured in accidents in Las Vegas miss out on the financial compensation available to them due to misconceptions about the legal system. Such individuals believe they can’t afford to hire a lawyer and file a personal injury lawsuit. They need to learn or realize that most Las Vegas personal injury attorneys get paid for their work on a contingency fee basis. This means payment of any fee for work done and services provided are dependent on the attorney getting some recovery for the client.
In Nevada, an attorney may only ethically charge you a contingency fee with a written agreement. Contingency fees are not allowed in criminal or domestic relations cases.
What Is The Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee is a type of payment to lawyers for their legal services. Compared to a fixed hourly price, in a contingent fee arrangement, lawyers receive a percentage of the monetary amount their client receives when they win or settle the case. Reimbursement for the attorney’s services is “contingent upon” the client receiving some compensation. A predetermined portion of the settlement will go to the lawyer at no additional charge.
The Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct (“NRPC”) prohibits an attorney from charging unreasonable fees.
More complicated cases will demand higher percentages as an incentive for a lawyer to take them. After all, an attorney invests much time and resources into winning a case.
In Nevada, personal injury lawyers can charge a 33.3% to 50% contingency fee, depending on the complexity of the specific personal injury case and the risk the attorney is undertaking.
It is also important to note that the contingency fee is typically lower if your personal injury case settles before your lawyer has to file a lawsuit. For example, a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer may charge a 33.3% contingency fee in pre-litigation and 40% once a lawsuit is filed.
What Is A Contingency Fee Agreement?
Model Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) which has been adopted in Nevada since 2006, requires a contingency fee agreement to be in writing and signed by the client. The agreement should state the method by which the fee is to be determined and notify the client of any expenses for which the client will be liable.
The contingency fee agreement is a legal document that governs the relationship between a lawyer and a client. The lawyer’s fees are based on a fixed percentage of the amount recovered. Contingency fee arrangements are popular in personal injury cases where the client may need more money to hire a lawyer upfront.
According to the American Bar Association, contingency fee agreements must have information about how the contingency fee percentage is calculated and any cap, when and how it will be paid for the attorney’s services, whether the client will be responsible for additional legal expenses if they don’t win the case and signatures of client and attorney.
Costs Are Distinct From Fees
Clients can sometimes be expected to pay litigation costs. The clients usually bear the costs of filing lawsuits and fees charged by expert witnesses, whether they recover any money.
Some lawyers in contingency fee arrangements might agree to front litigation costs and seek reimbursement at the end of the case. Other attorneys will require clients to pay these costs as the case progresses.
Benefits Of A Contingency Fee Arrangement For Clients
The most significant advantage of a contingent fee arrangement is that there are no upfront fees to be paid by the clients. Additionally, clients don’t need to pay any fees even if their claim cannot reach a settlement or if their lawsuit fails at trial.
A contingency fee structure allows low-income clients to receive the legal assistance they require. This arrangement also ensures that clients will not be burdened with costly legal bills while fighting to win compensation.
Another benefit of entering a contingent agreement is that clients can be guaranteed their lawyers do their best to win their cases.
If you lose the case at trial, the lawyer bears the price of litigation. As your lawyer would have invested significant resources and time in your case, failure to secure a settlement or a favorable verdict would mean they would walk away with nothing.
Expect your lawsuit to be handled diligently and professionally, as a share of the damages is a good incentive for lawyers to succeed.
Pacific West Injury Law – Uncompromising, Professional, And Goal-oriented Law Firm Run By Honest And Empathetic Individuals
The lawyer-client relationship in personal injury law is designed to protect clients and ensure they get the best legal representation possible. But clients also have various duties and responsibilities in ensuring the success of their case.
Be honest with your lawyer, who needs to know the facts of the case. Provide as much evidence as possible, including photographs, correspondence, and documentation.
Respect your lawyer’s time. During your stint as a client, there will be meetings and legal proceedings. You must attend these meetings and be punctual, but if you can’t, let your lawyer know that well in advance.
Lawyers can be perceived as cold and calculating, but that’s untrue. At Pacific West Injury Law, we empathize with our clients’ ordeals and try to enunciate their pain and suffering to the insurance adjuster, opposing attorneys, judges, and jurors.
We focus on seeking standard legal remedies and helping our clients achieve a sense of justice, accountability, and closure.
Contact A Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer Today
You don’t have to feel helpless if you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence in Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas.
Personal injury lawyers deal with insurance companies and their tactics regularly. An experienced personal injury attorney at Pacific West Injury Law knows the Nevada personal injury laws and what a fair deal is for you.
Call an experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyer at our firm for a free case evaluation.
We won’t back down until we get your case’s best possible outcome.
