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Most personal injury lawyers in Georgia charge a contingency fee, which means you do not pay an attorney fee upfront. Instead, the lawyer receives an agreed percentage of the money recovered through a settlement or verdict.
Most personal injury law firms in Georgia follow a standard fee agreement: attorney fees will equal one-third or 33.33% of the recovery if the case resolves before a lawsuit is filed and 40% if a lawsuit must be filed.
*** If there is no recovery, you do not owe us attorney’s fees. ***
Case expenses, such as medical-record fees, court costs, or expert fees, are separate from the attorney fee and are handled according to the written fee agreement. Like Brodie Law Group, most other personal injury law firms will pay those expenses for you upfront and recoup those costs after the case is settled.
Before hiring a lawyer, you should understand the percentage being charged, whether it changes if a lawsuit is filed, and how case expenses will be handled.
A contingency fee means the lawyer is paid from the money recovered in the case instead of charging the client an upfront retainer or hourly fee.
If the case results in a settlement or verdict, the lawyer receives the percentage agreed to in the fee contract. If there is no recovery, the client does not owe an attorney fee for the lawyer’s time and case expenses.
This allows an injured person to hire a lawyer without paying a large retainer or monthly legal bills while the case is pending.
The fee agreement should explain the percentage being charged, whether that percentage changes if a lawsuit is filed, and how case expenses are handled.
No. It does not cost anything to talk with Brodie Law Group about a personal injury case.
You can tell us what happened, ask questions, and find out whether the case is something we can help with without paying a consultation fee or committing to hire us.
If we take the case, there is no attorney fee paid upfront. Our fee is paid from the recovery at the end of the case.
Personal injury lawyers commonly charge a contingency fee based on a percentage of the recovery.
At Brodie Law Group, our fee is the same standard fee as most other personal injury law firms in Georgia: one-third or 33.33% of the recovery if the case resolves before a lawsuit is filed. If a lawsuit has to be filed, the fee becomes 40% of the recovery.
The exact fee should always be explained in writing before you hire a lawyer. You should know what percentage will be charged, when that percentage changes, and how legal expenses and costs are handled.
A lawsuit usually requires much more work than resolving a claim through negotiation.
Once a lawsuit is filed, the case may involve court filings, written discovery, depositions, expert witnesses, mediation, hearings, and trial preparation.
At Brodie Law Group, the fee increases from one-third to 40% if a lawsuit has to be filed. The percentage does not continue increasing after that.
We still work to resolve cases without filing suit when that is possible. But if the insurance company disputes fault, refuses to make a reasonable offer, or another issue prevents the claim from being resolved, filing a lawsuit may become necessary.
Attorney fees and case expenses are not the same thing.
Case expenses can include things such as:
These expenses need to be paid upfront to obtain these documents and records. At Brodie Law Group, we pay for those expenses while the case is pending. If there is a recovery, those costs are reimbursed from the settlement or verdict according to the fee agreement.
Before settlement money is distributed, you receive a breakdown showing the attorney fee, case expenses, medical bills or liens, and the total amount you will receive.
If Brodie Law Group accepts your case and does not recover money for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee for our time.
Case expenses are handled according to the written fee agreement. We explain those terms before you hire us so you understand how both attorney fees and expenses work if the case does not result in a recovery.
The amount you receive will be less than the total settlement because several items may have to be paid from the recovery.
Those can include:
For example, if a case settles for $30,000 before a lawsuit is filed, a one-third attorney fee would be $10,000. If there were $500 in case expenses and $6,000 in remaining medical bills or liens, the client would receive $13,500.
That is only an example. Every case is different, and the actual amount depends on the fee agreement, expenses, medical balances, liens, and other issues that may need to be resolved.
Before settlement funds are distributed, we review the breakdown with the client so they can see where the money is going.
This is a very common question.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company does not pay medical bills as they come in while the claim is pending.
If you have health insurance, it is best to use it for treatment when possible. Health insurance may pay negotiated rates and may later seek reimbursement from a settlement, depending on the plan and circumstances.
If your auto policy includes medical payments coverage, often called MedPay, that coverage may also help with certain medical expenses while the case is open.
We keep track of medical bills, liens, and reimbursement claims as the case moves forward so they can be addressed when the case resolves.
Additionally, at the conclusion of the case, we negotiate with medical providers to try to get them to reduce their fees to a fair or reasonable amount so you can keep more of the settlement.
Do not assume you have to stop treatment just because money is tight.
If you have health insurance, use it when possible. If you do not have health insurance, there may be other treatment options depending on the circumstances.
In some cases, medical providers may agree to treat an injured person while the claim is pending and wait for payment when the case is resolved.
The important thing is to get appropriate medical care based on what your doctors recommend.
No. Fee agreements can vary from one law firm to another.
Some firms charge different contingency percentages, handle case expenses differently, or increase the fee at different stages of the case.
A lower percentage does not automatically mean the arrangement is better. You should understand what work the lawyer will handle, who will communicate with you, how expenses are paid, and what happens if the case has to be filed in court.
Before signing a fee agreement, ask questions until you understand exactly how the arrangement works.
Good questions include:
You should know how the lawyer will be paid before the representation begins.
Changing lawyers does not usually mean paying two full contingency fees on top of each other.
If a prior lawyer has a valid claim for fees or expenses, that issue is generally addressed from the same recovery according to the applicable agreements and circumstances.
If you are thinking about changing lawyers, the new personal injury law firm can review the existing agreement and explain how the fee issue may be handled.
Most personal injury lawyers will help you handle the process of switching lawyers for you so you do not have to worry.
Brodie Law Group represents injured people throughout Georgia and is based in Macon. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee, so there is no attorney fee paid upfront.
If you are considering hiring a lawyer, our personal injury team can explain the fee agreement, how case expenses are handled, and what you can expect before you decide whether to move forward.
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