If you’ve been hurt as a result of someone else’s action or omission, you might be entitled to compensation for any damages you’ve sustained. For example, the negligent party might be responsible for paying your hospital bills, reimbursing you for lost wages, and even compensating you for pain and suffering.

That said, many people are deterred from taking legal action because they know that lawyers are expensive. Although it is true that many lawyers charge high fees for their services, many people overestimate just how expensive it is to file a personal injury lawsuit, and they rob themselves of compensation that they legally deserve.

So just how expensive is it to file a personal injury lawsuit?

How Personal Injury Attorneys Typically Work

Most personal injury lawyers work in similar ways, even though they might have different fee schedules or approaches. During the intake process, a lawyer or paralegal will talk to you about the accident and try to gather as many details as possible. Typically, this initial consultation is completely free, even if you’re given legitimate legal advice. If the attorney decides to take on your case, they won’t charge you anything up front. Instead, they’ll only charge you a fee if they win the case, and it’s typically based on a percentage of whatever compensation you win.

Because of this structure, there’s practically no financial downside to talking to an attorney, at least initially. If you decide not to move forward with a case, you won’t be out anything. If you lose the case, you won’t owe any money. And if you win the case, and you negotiate a significant settlement, you’ll only owe a fraction of it to your attorney.

Do note that sometimes it takes a while to resolve a personal injury case. The majority of personal injury lawsuits are settled out of court, as both parties are interested in resolving the dispute as quickly and painlessly as possible. 

Even so, it can take months of negotiation to reach a proper settlement, and if the case does go to trial, it can take even longer. Keep this in mind, as the process of filing a lawsuit can be stressful, even if it’s not extremely expensive.

Types of Personal Injury Cases

There are many types of situations that justify filing a personal injury lawsuit. It’s very common for people to file personal injury suits as a result of car accidents, dog bites, and other incidents involving a negligent party and physical harm. However, it’s also important to remember premises liability; premises keepers, like store owners, owe a duty to their customers and the general public, and if they breach that duty, they may be liable for any damages that follow.

Many lawyers who practice personal injury law also handle medical malpractice cases. If a doctor or other medical professional hasn’t treated you properly or has missed something important in your medical profile, you may be eligible for personal injury compensation as well.

Potential for Compensation

There are many types of compensation that you might be entitled to, including:

·       Property damage. You’ll be entitled to compensation for any damages you’ve sustained to your personal property; for example, if your car is totaled, the defendant may be responsible for paying you back.

·       Medical costs. As you might imagine, the defendant will also be responsible for reimbursing you for any medical expenses you’ve incurred, including hospital bills, appointment bills, and the costs of prescription medication.

·       Pain and suffering. In many personal injury cases, defendants pay for your subjective pain and suffering as well. If you went through a harrowing ordeal, your lawyer will attempt to quantify your subjective experience and win you appropriate compensation.

·       Loss of consortium. Loss of consortium damages aim to compensate for the loss of the intangible benefits of certain types of relationships. This typically comes into play if a spouse or parent was killed or significantly debilitated in the accident.

·       Lawyer fees. The defendant may also be responsible for paying your legal fees, though this is increasingly rare.

Accordingly, even if you work with a lawyer with relatively steep fees, it’s still typically worth it to follow through with your lawsuit.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s actions or omissions, you owe it to yourself to at least talk to a personal injury attorney. Although lawyers can charge a lot of money, they typically do so in a way that invites prospective plaintiffs to explore their legal options. You won’t owe anything at the beginning, and you won’t owe anything if you lose the case, so there’s no reason not to talk to a lawyer to see what your options are.