If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, the thought of hiring a lawyer may feel overwhelming—especially when you’re already dealing with medical bills, lost income, and the stress of recovery. Many people hesitate to seek legal help because they assume it will be expensive.
The good news is that most personal injury attorneys in Connecticut, including the team at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP, work on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay legal fees unless your attorney successfully recovers compensation for you.
Understanding how contingency fees work can help you feel more confident about pursuing the legal help you deserve.
What Is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee is an agreement between you and your attorney that allows you to obtain legal representation without paying any upfront legal fees.
In most personal injury cases, this arrangement means:
- You pay nothing upfront to hire an attorney
- Your attorney receives a percentage of the settlement or verdict
- If your case is not successful, you do not owe legal fees
Connecticut law regulates contingency fees in personal injury cases to ensure fairness for injured individuals. The fee structure typically follows a sliding scale based on the amount recovered, including:
- 33.33% of the first $300,000 recovered
- 25% of the next $300,000
- 20% of the next $300,000
- 15% of the next $300,000
- 10% of any amount over $1.2 million
This structure helps ensure that legal representation remains accessible while fairly compensating attorneys for successfully handling cases.
What’s Covered in a Contingency Agreement?
When you hire a personal injury attorney on a contingency fee basis, the law firm typically handles many aspects of the case without requiring upfront payment from you.
These services often include:
- Your initial consultation and case evaluation
- Investigation of the accident, including gathering evidence and witness statements
- Negotiations with insurance companies
- Litigation costs, such as court filing fees, medical records, and expert witnesses if necessary
In many cases, these expenses are advanced by the law firm and reimbursed only if compensation is recovered in your case.
Why Contingency Fees Work in Your Favor
The contingency fee model benefits injury victims in several important ways.
First, it eliminates financial risk, allowing you to pursue your claim without worrying about paying legal fees out of pocket. Second, it aligns your attorney’s interests with your own, since your lawyer only gets paid if compensation is secured.
This arrangement also ensures that individuals who cannot afford to pay hourly legal fees still have access to experienced legal representation.
Protect Yourself
If you have been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or another incident caused by someone else’s negligence, you should not have to worry about the cost of seeking legal help. A contingency fee arrangement allows you to pursue justice and compensation without any upfront financial burden.
If you or a loved one has been injured in Connecticut due to another party’s negligence, the experienced attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP are ready to review your case and explain your legal options.
Call us today at 203-438-7450 for a free consultation, or visit www.hcwlaw.com to download one of our FREE legal books and learn more about protecting your case.