How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost With Morgan & Morgan in Jacksonville?

Being involved in a car accident in Jacksonville can leave you with a lot to worry about. Who will pay your medical bills? What will you do for income if your injuries keep you from working? And if the insurance company makes a settlement offer, how can you know whether it accounts for everything you have lost?

You may consider hiring a personal injury attorney but hesitate because you are concerned about the cost or how legal fees could affect your recovery. At Morgan & Morgan, our attorneys can review your case, explain your options, and help you understand whether an insurance company’s offer fairly accounts for your injuries and losses.

When You May Need a Car Accident Lawyer in Jacksonville

Florida is a “no-fault” state for car accidents. This generally means that your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays certain medical expenses and lost-income benefits after an accident, regardless of who caused the crash. However, PIP benefits are limited and may not cover all of your losses.

In some cases, you may also have a claim against the at-fault driver. Florida law allows recovery for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and similar damages when an injury involves a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death.

If an insurance company denies your claim, disputes what it owes, or makes a settlement offer that does not appear to account for your losses, a car accident attorney can review the situation and help you understand your options.

Free Consultations and Contingency Fees

Morgan & Morgan offers free case evaluations for people injured in Jacksonville car accidents. We can review what happened, discuss your legal options, and help you understand whether hiring an attorney may make sense for your situation. Some minor accidents may be handled without legal representation, while more serious or disputed claims may benefit from an attorney’s involvement.

Morgan & Morgan handles car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay upfront attorney’s fees. Instead, if we recover compensation for you through a settlement or verdict, the attorney’s fee is calculated as a percentage of that recovery. If we do not recover compensation for you, you do not pay an attorney’s fee.

Florida Bar rules regulate contingency fees in personal injury cases. Your contingency fee agreement will be in writing and explain the attorney’s fee that applies to your case, along with how case expenses and other potential deductions will be handled.

Attorney Fees and Case Expenses

Under a contingency fee agreement, you do not pay attorney’s fees upfront or by the hour while your case is being handled. Instead, the attorney’s fee is paid from a recovery if your case results in a settlement or award.

However, attorney’s fees are different from the expenses involved in investigating and pursuing a case. Depending on the circumstances, case expenses may include:

• Court filing and service fees
• Deposition and witness fees, including costs for expert witnesses or accident reconstruction specialists
• Medical records and police report fees
• Investigation costs
• Expenses for preparing exhibits or other evidence
• Mediation or arbitration costs
• Other case-related expenses, such as copying, postage, or necessary travel

How these expenses are handled depends on the terms of your written fee agreement. A law firm may advance certain costs while the case is pending and, if there is a recovery, deduct those expenses as provided in the agreement. Your fee agreement should explain which expenses you may be responsible for and how they will be calculated and deducted.

Before Signing a Fee Agreement

Before signing a fee agreement with Morgan & Morgan, you should feel comfortable asking questions about anything you do not understand. A contingency fee agreement is a contract, so it is important to understand how attorney’s fees, case expenses, and other deductions may affect your recovery.

Some questions you may want to ask us, or any attorney you are considering hiring, include:

• What percentage of my recovery will be paid as the attorney’s fee? Can that percentage change depending on when the case settles or whether it goes to trial?
• How will case expenses be handled? Will the firm advance filing fees and other litigation costs, and will I receive an itemized accounting of those expenses?
• What happens to case expenses if there is no recovery? Will I still be responsible for any costs?
• Could medical bills or liens affect my recovery? If a healthcare provider, insurer, or other party asserts a lien or repayment claim, how will that be addressed?

Your fee agreement should explain these terms in writing. Take the time to review it carefully and ask questions before signing so you understand how fees and expenses will be handled in your case.

Get Started With a Jacksonville Car Accident Lawyer

At Morgan & Morgan, The Fee Is Free®; you only pay if we win. There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and your initial case evaluation is free.

If you were injured in a Jacksonville car accident, our attorneys can review what happened, explain your legal options, and help you understand what hiring a lawyer may cost before you decide how to move forward.

You already have enough to worry about after a crash. Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free case evaluation and find out how we may be able to help.