If you have been injured in a car wreck and are shopping around for a Dallas, Texas personal injury lawyer to handle your claim, you may have heard the phrase “contingency fee.” Many Texas personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis. Amy Witherite, a Dallas personal injury attorney who regularly handles car accident cases, explains what the term means.
A contingency fee arrangement means that a client pays money to a lawyer only if the lawyer handles the case successfully. Typically, this means that a lawyer is paid only if the lawyer wins at trial or brokers a settlement with the opposing party. Prior to initiating the representation, the lawyer and the client agree on a fixed percentage of the client’s ultimate recovery that will be paid to the lawyer. When the client is actually paid by the opposing party, the lawyer takes his portion of that payment.
Hiring a lawyer on a contingency fee basis has many upsides. The client owes no money (other than for the lawyer’s expenses and litigation costs) until—and if—the case is successfully resolved. If the client ultimately loses, the client has no further obligations to pay the attorney for the work he did on the case. Additionally, because strict rules govern Texas lawyers, no lawyer should be able to take advantage of a client by changing the terms of a contingency fee agreement.
This article is presented by the Dallas, Texas car accident attorneys at Eberstein & Witherite, LLP. For inquiries, call 214.378.6665.
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