Most Iowa personal injury lawyers work off contingency fee contract rather than hourly fees in a personal injury case. That is, the lawyer receives payment from the settlement or verdict proceeds, if any, based on a percentage. Usually if there is no recovery the lawyer does not get paid for attorneys’ fees.
The typical Iowa personal injury contingency fee is 1/3 of the total recovery but sometimes is increased to 40 or even 50 percent based upon the complexity of the case or whether the case is appealed to a higher court. Be sure to speak with your prospective lawyer regarding the fee so that you understand how the attorney’s fee is calculated.
Another aspect are the costs and expenses of the case. It is important for you to know that you are generally responsible for costs and expenses as the client. This may include, but is not limited to the filing fees, expenses of gathering medical records, retaining experts, taking depositions and other expenses.
So take the time to discuss these issues and also to understand the time frame of your specific case. Ask the lawyer how long he or she thinks it will take to build your case and send out a demand to the insurance company and/or file your case with the court. Find out if the lawyer is just interested in a quick settlement or whether he or she will take the time, effort and resources to litigate your case.