Paying Your Injury Attorney

After a serious accident, the last thing you should have to worry about is how you are going to afford a lawyer to protect your rights. You’re already facing a mountain of medical bills, you may be unable to work, and the stress of your physical recovery is a lot to handle. The thought of receiving hourly legal bills or having to come up with a substantial retainer payment is scary, overwhelming, and simply impossible for many people.

This is why we handle personal injury cases differently. At Grungo Law, we believe that your financial situation should never be a barrier to seeking justice. 

We accept all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This is more than just a payment structure; it is our promise to you that we will invest our own time, resources, and skill into your case, and we will not charge you a single dollar in attorney’s fees unless we successfully resolve your case and recover money for you.

Key Takeaways About Grungo Law’s Contingency Fee Arrangement

• No Upfront Costs, No Risk: You pay absolutely nothing to hire our firm. We only receive a fee if we successfully recover financial compensation for you through a settlement or a trial verdict.
• The Fee is a Percentage: Our fee is a pre-agreed-upon percentage of the total amount of money we recover on your behalf. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing for our time.
• Our Goals are Aligned: The contingency fee system ensures our goals are perfectly aligned with yours. We are motivated to fight for the maximum possible compensation available under your circumstances because our success is directly tied to your success.

Putting Your Needs First: The Grungo Law “No-Fee Promise”

Working with a contingency fee is the foundation of our client-first philosophy. It is designed to remove the financial risk from your shoulders and place it on ours. It means you can have a team of dedicated, experienced trial attorneys fighting for you without ever having to worry about writing a check for our services.

Here’s what our No-Fee Promise means for you and your family:

• No Upfront Retainer: You do not need thousands of dollars to hire our firm. You can retain our services with just your signature.
• No Hourly Bills: You will never receive a surprise bill from us for phone calls, meetings, or emails. We do not bill by the hour, so you should never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.
• Access to Justice for Everyone: This system levels the playing field, allowing you to take on powerful insurance companies and large corporations without being intimidated by their vast financial resources.

A Clear Breakdown: How Your Settlement is Distributed

One of the most common questions we receive is, “If we win, what happens next?” 

Transparency is a core value at Grungo Law, and we want you to understand exactly how the money from a settlement or verdict is handled.

Let’s walk through a simple, hypothetical example to make it clear. When we successfully settle your claim or receive a winning verdict from a jury, this is the total amount the defendant, or more likely their insurance company, will pay to resolve your claim. This money is deposited into our secure law firm trust account to be distributed as follows:

Step 1: Repaying Advanced Case Costs

Building a winning personal injury case requires an upfront investment in investigation, obtaining evidence, and working with experts to generate opinions to support your claim. These expenses are paid by our firm upfront and are referred to as case costs. They are separate from the attorney’s fees, which reflect the education, skill, and legal abilities our team uses to pursue your claim. 

Examples of case costs may include: 

• Court filing fees 
• Fees for obtaining medical records 
• The cost of hiring accident reconstruction experts
• The expense of hiring a court reporter and purchasing deposition transcripts

Our firm advances all of these costs on your behalf so you don’t have to pay for them out of your pocket. These costs are then reimbursed to our firm from the settlement proceeds.

Step 2: Calculating the Attorney’s Contingency Fee

Our fee is a percentage of the total recovery. The exact percentage will be clearly explained and listed in your written attorney-client agreement. The fee is calculated from the gross settlement amount and paid to our firm as attorney’s fees.

Step 3: Settling Medical Liens and Bills

If your health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid paid for any of your accident-related medical treatment, they will have a legal right to be reimbursed from the amount the defendant (or insurance) pays for your settlement or verdict. This is called a medical lien. 

This is also where an experienced attorney can provide incredible further value. We work to negotiate these liens with the medical providers, fighting to reduce the amount you have to pay back.

For example, your health insurer may have a lien for $15,000. We might be able to negotiate it down to $10,000, which would put an extra $5,000 directly into your pocket.

Step 4: Your Net Recovery – The Final Check to You

After all costs, fees, and liens have been paid, the remaining amount is yours. This is your net recovery—the money you receive to compensate you for your losses and help you rebuild.

Before any payment is made from your settlement or verdict proceeds, you will receive a detailed settlement statement that clearly lists every single deduction so you know exactly where every dollar is going.

The Power of Partnership: Aligning Our Goals with Yours

The contingency fee is more than just a payment method; it’s a partnership. It ensures that our firm is fully invested in the outcome of your case, and our goals are fully aligned with yours.

• It Shows We Believe in Your Case. We don’t take cases we don’t believe in. By investing our own money and resources, we demonstrate our confidence in your claim.
• We Are Motivated to Maximize Your Recovery. Since our fee is a percentage of the final amount, we are committed to fighting for every dollar you deserve. A higher settlement for you means a higher fee payment for us.
• It Allows You to Focus on Healing. You can focus all your energy on your physical and emotional recovery, knowing that a dedicated legal team is handling the financial and legal aspects of your claim on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions About Contingency Fees

What happens if we lose the case?

This is the most important part of our promise to you. If, for any reason, we do not recover any money on your behalf, you owe us absolutely nothing. You will not be responsible for our attorney’s fees or for any of the case costs we have advanced. That is the risk we take when we accept your case.

Are there any hidden fees I should be aware of?

No. There are absolutely no hidden fees. Every detail of our fee structure, including the contingency fee percentage and the handling of case costs, will be laid out in clear and simple terms in our written client agreement. We will review this document with you and address all your questions before you sign, and we begin.

Is the contingency fee percentage the same for every case?

The percentage we use is standard for most personal injury cases in our region and reflects the associated risk and resources. It will be clearly defined in your agreement. In some rare and highly complex cases, the percentage may differ; however, this would be discussed and agreed upon in writing before we begin work.

Don’t Let Financial Fear Prevent You From Seeking Justice: Trust the Team at Grungo Law to Fight For Every Dollar You Deserve

In the aftermath of a serious injury, you have enough to worry about. The cost of hiring a lawyer should not be one of them. Our contingency fee system was designed to give you a voice and a fighting chance, regardless of your financial situation. It allows you to have a powerful advocate in your corner, ready to take on the insurance companies and fight for the recovery you need and deserve.

If you have further questions about our No-Fee Promise or would like to discuss the details of your potential case, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact the team at Grungo Law today at (856) 548-8347 for a free, no-obligation consultation.