Why a Personal Injury Claim Could Cost You Nothing

By Aghabegian & Associates on November 27, 2020

One of the biggest questions we at Aghabegian & Associates, PC, get when speaking to injured clients is “How much will your services cost?” and we fully understand if you have the same question. After a serious accident, you are likely worried about paying your medical bills and getting back to work. You may even be tempted to accept a lowball settlement offer from the at-fault insurance company.

Most people assume that hiring an attorney is way out of their pay range. But we are here to tell you that working with an attorney may not only help you get proper compensation for your injuries, but it may also cost you nothing.

How Personal Injury Attorneys Are Paid

When people think of hiring an attorney, they expect to pay an hourly rate. While this is common with other practices like criminal defense or divorce, our personal injury and car accident attorneys at Aghabegian & Associates, PC, work on a contingency-fee basis.

A contingency fee means that our services are contingent on us winning you compensation. If we take you on as a client, we will handle all of the up-front costs of filing a claim, including reviewing your accident, collecting evidence, speaking to witnesses, and negotiating with an insurance adjuster. Once we have settled your case, either through negotiations or a jury trial, you will receive the majority of the award to cover the costs of your injuries. In turn, our fees will be paid from the remainder of your claim.

We always factor our fees into the overall value of your claim. That means that after we have calculated the amount of money you should receive for your injuries – your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages – we will then add on our contingency fee. Typically, contingency fees take up 30-40% of the total value of your case, meaning you will receive between 60-70%. At a minimum, our goal is to get you that 60-70% to cover all of your medical expenses, any lost wages from taking time off work, and the personal cost of your injuries.

In rare situations, it is possible for you to lose your case and not receive compensation altogether. If this worst-case scenario did occur, we would not charge you a single dollar for our services. At the end of the day, you will not have to pay us unless we win your claim.

What Is Your Case Worth?

In addition to asking how much our services will cost, many clients ask us how much money they can receive in a claim. While every case is different, and it is important to keep your expectations in check, there are ways to calculate the value of your claim.

In the state of California, you can pursue two types of damages in a personal injury claim: economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages will cover all of your financial costs. While the majority of these costs will include your medical bills, including emergency room visits, diagnostic tests, surgeries, any medical equipment, and physical therapy, economic damages can also include any wages you missed out on because you had to take time away from work to heal. In addition, if you had to reduce your work hours or had to change careers due to a disability, you can include these lost wages in your claim.

Noneconomic damages refer to the nonfinancial aspects of your injury, including the physical pain of your injuries and the emotional trauma of the accident. Auto accidents can be terrifying and are known to lead to PTSD, depression, and anxiety. California personal injury laws acknowledge these costs to victims and allow you to include them in your claim.

To claim economic damages, you should make copies of all of your medical bills and invoices. If you paid for any treatment out of pocket, such as with a deductible, you should hold onto those receipts, as you can be reimbursed through your claim. For lost wages, you should make copies of your pay stubs or, if you are paid by direct deposit, ask your employer for copies of your payroll reports. Once you have these documents, our team can add up the total financial costs of your injuries.

For noneconomic damages, the process can be a bit more complicated. There are two main formulas that insurance companies use to calculate pain and suffering damages: the Multiplier Method and the Per Diem Method. These two methods can be complicated, and many insurance companies undervalue noneconomic damages. We typically factor in noneconomic damages at 30% of the total value of your case, meaning you can add that amount on top of your economic damages and our contingency fee.

Schedule a Free Appointment Today

In addition to working on a contingency-fee basis and calculating the value of your case, we also offer every potential client a free initial consultation. During this consultation, our Glendale personal injury attorneys will sit down with you and go through the details of the accident, including what insurance policies apply, what your current treatment plan is, how much the accident has cost you, and how you can receive compensation. If we believe you have a strong case, we can take you on as a client and represent you throughout your claim. To schedule a free consultation today and learn how we can help, call Aghabegian & Associates, PC, at (818) 507-4311.

From the moment we take you on as a client to the day you receive compensation, you will not have to write us a single check.