You were injured in a car accident in Salem. What’s next? Ideally, you should call the police right from the accident scene, and if someone is injured, call 911 immediately. Right after, you should inform the insurance companies, including your own insurer. You are required to inform the at-fault driver’s insurer within a reasonable time. The third step is to call a reliable Salem Oregon personal injury lawyer. Injured car accident victims often have their reservations seeking legal counsel, because they are worried about the costs. After all, when you are dealing with financial distress, things can be hard. In this post, we are sharing more on why you need an injury lawyer and costs of hiring one.
When should you call an injury lawyer?
If the other party was solely at fault, you don’t have to try hard to get a settlement from their insurance company. However, in the real world, things are often complicated. You should consider hiring an injury lawyer, if –
- You were partly at fault
- You are not sure of who or what caused the accident
- You were seriously injured
- You have suffered significant losses and vehicle damage
- You don’t want to deal with the insurance company
How much do injury lawyers charge in Oregon?
A car accident lawyer will first take a call on the circumstances of the case. If they agree to work for you, they will typically charge a contingency fee. This is different from hiring a divorce lawyer, who can charge a retainer fee, an hourly rate, or/and a flat charge. A personal injury lawyer will usually ask for a fee, if they win a financial settlement of the client. The contingency fee may vary between 25% and 40% of the compensation, depending on the facts of the case. For experienced attorneys, you may have to pay a tad more.
What about other costs?
When it comes to personal injury lawsuits, attorneys may have to incur other costs related to investigation and litigation. You may want to ask an attorney if they can help with these expenses. If the lawyer sees potential in your case, they can advance the extras, which can be adjusted later. In case the lawyer asks you to pay for the additional costs, you need to be financially prepared.
Meet a personal injury lawyer in person, before you take the decision of hiring one.