I have written an article about Contingency Fees which you can find by clicking here now. If you want to learn about what a contingency fee is, read the article in the link above first, before reading this article.
As a lawyer, I evaluate many factors before I decide to a take Motorcycle, Car, or other Motor Vehicle injury accident cases on a contingency basis.
The absolute first thing I evaluate is LIABILITY. Is the potential client that comes to me at fault or are they the victim? Although I handle cases for victims and at fault persons, I will not take a case on a contingency basis for at fault persons, and I doubt any other personal injury lawyer will either.
Liability is a tricky subject. In the State of California we use what is called a comparative negligence system to determine liability. In many accidents one or more persons will be 100% at fault in an accident. No problem if my other criteria are met, I will take the case on a contingency basis.
However, let’s say that liability is not crystal clear. Let’s say you have 2 persons who are in an accident and each one shares some fault in the accident. Let’s say one person is deemed to be 10% at fault and the other person is 90% at fault. In most situations I would consider representing the person who was only 10% at fault on a contingency basis.
However, let’s say both persons are 50% at fault, or equally at fault in an accident. Since each party would share the same responsibility for the accident, they could not recover against each other. This would be the type of case I normally would not take unless certain other factors are met.
Picture in your mind a nice pumpkin pie. Cut a piece for your percentage of fault, and the other parties percentage of fault. This will give you a good example of how a Jury or a personal injury lawyer would look at the case. If the other party gets the whole pie chances are that you have a good case that I would consider taking.
The second factor I consider is DAMAGES. How bad are you or the others with you injured? If there are no injuries, most Personal Injury lawyers including myself will not take your case on a contingency basis because the only issue would be property damage.
For a personal injury lawyer such as me, injuries are a paradox. We hate to see our clients injured in a motorcycle, car or other motor vehicle accident, and yet your injuries are directly proportional to how much money we can get for you. The nature and extent of your injuries in an accident is a major factor that I look at before I take a personal injury case on contingency.
The third factor that I look at is whether you have liability insurance. In California if you do not have liability insurance, you are only entitled to your out of pocket losses and that’s it. Most of the damages in personal injury cases usually come from none out of pocket losses such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, etc.
If you do not have valid liability insurance, most personal injury lawyers including myself, will not take your case on a contingency basis.
The fourth factor I look at when deciding to take a case is all of the parties insurance policies, as well as the at fault persons assets. If they have a minimum policy of lets say $15,000.00 and no assets, chances are that all you will be able to recover is the $15,000.00 even though you might have $100,000.00 in medical bills. However, you may have Under Insured Coverage for $1,000,000.00. Each circumstance is different. Either way, it takes an experienced lawyer to get you what you are entitled to in a personal injury accident case.
There are about 10 other factors that I look at in evaluating cases. I will send my investigators out to the scene of the accident, as well as look at the property damage. We will evaluate your injuries and medical treatment. We do many things. The sole purpose of our doing personal injury on a contingency basis is to get you the absolute most money that is possible out of your case. We do not make money, unless we get you money, it’s as simple as that. If I have to, I will take your case all the way to a Jury trial if necessary to get you the most possible money.
I believe in cutting to the chase and being frank with my clients. If you have had a motorcycle, car, or other motor vehicle accident in the State of California you may give me a call for a free consultation at 818-584-8831 ext. 1, or visit my personal injury website by clicking here now.
If you have had an accident in a State outside of California, I highly recommend that you seek legal representation in the State in which the accident occurred.
No matter what, do not try to do these types of cases on your own without a lawyer. You may think that you are saving money. In the end, the insurance companies will know that they have a sucker on their hands. They love injured victims who do not have lawyers!
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. , Copyright 2006
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