Being involved in an accident can be a devastating experience. The aftermath of a personal injury accident can be time-consuming, stressful, and emotional. But to make matters worse, it can also be expensive.
Injuries are expensive. There’s no getting around it. Accidents often lead to medical bills, property damage, lost income due to time away from work, and other monetary expenses and losses.
After a personal injury accident, people frequently recommend hiring an attorney to help them recover their losses. But lawyers can be expensive too. It can feel impossible to think about paying to hire an attorney when you are already worried about your other expenses related to your accident.
However, at Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers, we understand that you have other financial obligations that may come before paying an attorney. And we understand that paying even more money for an attorney can feel like a huge risk.
That’s why we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis. It’s as simple as that.
When you hire the personal injury attorneys at Flora Templeton Stuart, you will not pay us for our time handling your case unless and until we win. If we don’t recover any compensation on your case, there is no cost to you, so contact us today to discuss your case and get started.
Contingent Fees: An Overview
You may be wondering what “no win, no fee” means in the context of hiring an attorney. Is it too good to be true? Is my attorney going to take all my money if we do recover?
The answer to both of those questions is no.
At Flora Templeton Stuart, we charge what is called a “contingency fee” in personal injury cases.
A contingent fee is a charge that is based on a percentage of the amount recovered in your personal injury case. This percentage will be determined before your attorney begins working on your case so that you know what to expect if you do win. In the simplest of terms, a contingent fee means you have to pay the fee only if you win.
Essentially, the fee the lawyer earns is “contingent” upon recovering money for a client. This means that if you do not receive any monetary recovery, your lawyer does not earn anything and you do not have to pay them anything.
Tennessee Contingent Fee Rules
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 1.5 dictates the requirements for contingent fees in Tennessee.
A contingent fee agreement must be in writing and signed by the client. The agreement must also state the method of determining the attorney’s fee by indicating the percentage or percentages that will be earned by the attorney in the event of settlement, trial, or appeal. Additionally, the contingency fee agreement must identify what expenses the client will be responsible for regardless of recovery, if any.
While contingency fees are relatively common in certain areas of the law, they are prohibited in others. Notably, Tennessee prohibits attorneys from entering into a contingency fee arrangement for the following matters:
- Domestic relations cases, and
- Representing a defendant in a criminal case.
Regardless of whether a contingent fee arrangement is permitted under Tennessee rules, it is important to know whether a contingent fee is right for your particular circumstances. Flora Templeton Stuart can discuss your case with you and help you determine what arrangement will work best for you.
Benefits of Contingency Fees
Contingent fees are incredibly helpful for clients who are struggling with other expenses, because they do not require any upfront payment.
Often, those who need help the most are those without the means to afford it. Fortunately, however, contingency fees provide a way for attorneys to help those who otherwise may not be able to afford quality representation. Ultimately, this can allow an injury victim to focus on healing from his or her injuries and let their personal injury lawyer take the steps needed to begin the lawsuit.
Another benefit of contingency fee arrangements is that an attorney can’t just pile on the hours to the detriment of the client.
Thus, an attorney acting under a contingency fee arrangement has no incentive to drag out the case. The sooner they can achieve a great recovery for their client, the sooner both the client and attorney win.
What About Other Fees?
If you have ever been involved in a lawsuit, you know that attorney fees are not the only charges that accrue.
Examples of fees and expenses that may be incurred in a personal injury case that are not attorney fees include:
- Court filing fees,
- Expert witness expenses,
- Court reporter fees for depositions, and
- Travel costs.
It’s true that there are other expenses that may arise during the course of a personal injury case. Your particular contingency fee agreement will define more clearly what expenses you may need to pay in addition to the contingency fee owed to your attorney if you win your case. Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers do not collect a fee or costs unless you win your case. In other words, you will not owe any costs unless we collect money for you.
Contact a No-Win, No-Fee Attorney Today
Finding a Tennessee personal injury attorney for your case is no easy task. With so many options to choose from, it can feel difficult deciding how to move forward.
But there’s one thing you can do to more easily begin to narrow down your options: search for a no-win, no-fee personal injury attorney.
Having an attorney who will work for you on a contingency fee basis is a great way to keep your costs down while still obtaining the competent and experienced legal representation you deserve for your case. When a contingency fee is an option, there’s no reason to feel pressured to move forward with an attorney that will charge you hourly.
Flora Templeton Stuart Is the No-Win, No-Fee Attorney for You
At Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers, we will not collect any fee from you for our legal services unless and until you win.
Established in 1976, we know what it takes to win a case for our injury clients.
Flora Templeton Stuart is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer with 44 years of experience. She has successfully recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. She will fight to do the same for you.
If you have questions about our no-win, no-fee philosophy, we’d be happy to discuss it with you in more detail. Contact our team online or by phone at 888-782-9090 today for your free case evaluation. Let us help you take the next steps toward recovery.
