“My Lawyer Got Me $??????”
Big settlements are something we see all the time on television, billboards, and internet commercials. You see a big number and a smiling client holding a check and you hear, “My lawyer got me X amount of money”, and most people think that if they have a similar case, they can get the same big check. But, client beware! What they’re not saying is the actual settlement breakdown. That could be something more like, “My lawyer negotiated a $500,000 settlement, but his fee was $225,000 per contract, and I had medicals of $150,000, which my lawyer refused to negotiate, minus costs and expert fees of $50,000, with the remainder of $75,000 actually coming to me”. That doesn’t sound as sexy does it? But technically, the lawyer “got them $500,000″!
That is why clients need to ask the right questions when they meet with an attorney. Make sure you fully understand the settlement breakdown before you sign anything. If they won’t be straight with you, RUN! You’re entitled to clear information. We don’t talk mumbo jumbo with clients; our contract is one page long, not five. It clearly states who gets what and discusses costs, medicals, and all percentages due and owing for each stage of the case. Many lawyers charge a flat fee of between 40% and 50% of any gross settlement, and many times it does not matter what stage the case is in when it settles or if it goes to trial.
Our goal is to give riders the best service possible, not to put the most money in the lawyer’s pocket by simply paying all medicals without even trying to negotiate them down for the client. Remember, the fee on most contingency cases “comes off the top”, meaning the fee is based on the gross amount including all costs and medicals. Is your lawyer willing to spend the time and do the work to negotiate medicals down? The answer should be an emphatic “YES!” since every dollar of medical bill reduction is a dollar in the client’s pocket (not the lawyer’s or the doctor’s pocket). MotoJustice is not afraid to fight hard in those negotiations because our goal is to give the best possible legal representation to our clients. We want to get you back on your bike and keep riders riding!
If you want to get a feel for how MotoJustice prioritizes clients, go to our testimonials page or check out our videos and hear our real clients talk about keeping the larger share of their settlements. Real results are the most important thing to see before hiring a personal injury law firm because riders can easily walk away with less money than their lawyers and doctors. Our clients get the care and concern that comes from lawyers who actually ride motorcycles, not lawyers that bought into a franchise or just advertise for motorcycle cases because they want more business. As riders, the lawyers at MotoJustice make riders the priority. Contact us today if you want to hear what our real settlement breakdown would be for your case.