How Much Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Cost?
How much a truck accident lawyer in Pennsylvania costs depends partly on your attorney’s fee structure. At Cordisco & Saile LLC, we take truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You only pay us if we win. If your claim settles before going to court, our attorney fee is 35 percent. If it settles after litigation begins, it is 40 percent.
The total you’ll pay for your truck accident case depends on whether you need to incur supplemental costs to bolster your case, such as hiring medical or accident reconstruction experts to testify. Contingency fee agreements benefit those who cannot afford to pay for lawyers and experts out of pocket.
How Truck Accident Case Contingency Fees Work
Those who must pay lawyers upfront take on a significant financial risk. They pay out-of-pocket hourly attorneys fees and must cover other paid services as they arise. If they lose their case, they won’t recover those costs.
Not everyone can afford legal representation upfront or take that kind of financial risk. Fortunately, you can hire an attorney who takes truck accident cases on a contingent fee basis. Therefore, you will have no upfront or out-of-pocket costs. You only pay your attorney a percentage of the compensation if and when you win.
If a firm takes your case on a contingency fee basis, you can expect it to do the following:
- The firm will pay the costs to investigate and litigate your case.
- Your lawyer will determine who is liable for your truck accident, which may be more than one party.
- They will calculate your short- and long-term damages.
- They will negotiate with insurance companies and defendants to get fair compensation.
- If necessary, they will file suit and advocate for you in court.
- If the firm recovers compensation for you, it will deduct the agreed percentage and the costs from the amount, and you will receive the remainder.
Other Costs of Your Truck Accident Case
In addition to the cost of a truck accident lawyer, there may be other fees related to your case. If you are on a contingency plan with your attorney, you only pay these costs if you win. Additional costs that may arise during your truck accident case include the following:
- Court fees
- Expenses related to conducting depositions
- Administrative costs
- Expert witness fees
These fees will be deducted from any compensation you receive. If the firm cannot recover anything, it will generally eat these costs. This structure is another advantage of partnering with a law firm that takes cases on a contingent fee basis. Those who must pay their lawyer upfront may be unable to pay experts to help them win their case, causing them to miss out on much-needed compensation.
Why Should You Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Truck accident cases often involve drivers working at the time of a crash. That means the trucking company may be liable for your damages based on vicarious liability. You may face a team of insurance adjusters and corporate attorneys whose primary interest is the bottom line.
An experienced lawyer knows insurance companies’ tactics, such as making quick settlement offers. If you settle too quickly, you cannot go back to ask for more compensation if you need surgery or another problem arises. Skilled attorneys know how to calculate damages fully and can advise you on what is fair.
Sometimes, the people you are suing are in control of the evidence you need, such as driving logs and truck maintenance records. Your attorney can ask a judge to compel them to turn over that evidence.
“If you’re involved in a trucking accident, you should notify a lawyer immediately. It's important that we start our investigation almost from the beginning because the insurance company or the trucking company sends their own investigators and team to the accident scene to try to gather evidence and reduce their liability.”
An Attorney Can Help You Maximize Compensation
If you are worried about how much a truck accident lawyer costs, consider the cost of not having one. Multiple parties could be responsible for your injuries, such as the driver, the trucking company, a defective parts manufacturer, or a government entity. A skilled attorney determines liability so you don’t miss a chance at potential compensation.
Your lawyer also knows when to file so you don’t miss your chance for compensation. Pennsylvania has a two-year statute of limitations for truck accident cases. A judge will likely throw out your case if you miss this deadline.
Your attorney can also combat claims that you caused your crash. Under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence law, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault. You cannot collect at all if you are found at least 51 percent responsible. Insurance companies and the defendant’s lawyers know this and will try to place the blame on you.
Choose a law firm with a history of successful settlements and verdicts. A strong track record demonstrates a lawyer knows how to negotiate with insurance companies and argue persuasively in court. Without those skills, you could end up with nothing, even if the other party was at fault for your truck accident.
Get Help With Your Truck Accident Claim Today
Our award-winning truck accident lawyers in Pennsylvania at Cordisco & Saile LLC have the experience you need to seek full compensation for your damages. For over 30 years, we’ve been fighting for the people of Bucks County, Montgomery County, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and beyond.
People come first to us. We are passionate about helping clients, so we never give up. Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our deserving clients, including $10 million for a local first responder struck by a truck driver with inadequate training.
Put our experience to work for you. Call us at 215-642-2335 or complete our contact form for a free case evaluation. You don’t pay us unless we win.
