If you’re wondering how much lawyer fees are for a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia, the answer could be different depending on your choice of lawyer. Typical fees for an experienced personal injury lawyer generally fall into two types: an hourly basis and a contingency basis.
At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means that our attorneys don’t get paid unless we win you financial compensation. It’s important to us that injured people who need to file personal injury claims don’t experience undue stress and always have access to expert legal representation throughout their cases.
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact us today for a free consultation. Our personal injury lawyers will assist you with every step of your claim or lawsuit, fighting for maximum compensation on your behalf.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 What Are Contingency Fees?
The majority of personal injury attorneys, including the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, work on a contingency fee. That means you don’t pay any legal fees or court costs unless your personal injury attorney wins your case.
If you are receive payment or a financial settlement, then you will pay your lawyer’s fee out of that based on your contingency fee agreement. While fees for an attorney to settle your personal injury case in Philadelphia can vary, there are a couple of important terms to understand as you are choosing the best team of lawyers to represent you.
The first term is “contingent fee basis.” To put this into simplest terms, a contingent fee basis means that a lawyer will not collect a fee unless you win, and that their fee is contingent (meaning, dependent) on the success of your case. Many studies, including one research paper from the Washington University School of Law, have found that this fee structure directly addresses the long-standing issue of limited access to justice in tort litigation. It does so primarily by ensuring that as many citizens as possible have access to quality legal representation, regardless of their economic status.
In cases that are on a contingent fee basis, the lawyers usually take a percentage of the settlement, and sometimes there are some additional fees as well. Many personal injury lawyers in the greater Philadelphia area work on a contingent fee basis because it allows them to work with clients to figure out how much compensation the client is rightfully entitled to for their injuries sustained during the accident.
Since 1959, our lawyers have been assisting clients in Philadelphia and beyond under the same promise: we charge no fees unless we win a fair settlement on your behalf. Our attorneys offer extensive expertise in various areas of personal injury law, with eight of them named Super Lawyers; all of our lawyers acclaimed by Best Lawyers; Marion Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law, and Personal Injury Litigation; and J. Christopher Munley selected as Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation.
All five of our partners hold AV Preeminent Ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and also feature in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide, underscoring our dedication to pursuing justice on behalf of our clients.
“At Munley Law, our mission is simple: to provide all injury victims equal access to justice, even against the most powerful entities. For more than 65 years, we have been the voice for the injured, the forgotten, and those who need someone to stand beside them in their darkest hour.”
Marion Munley
What Are the Other Types of Fees Involved in Personal Injury Cases?
Another term commonly used in Philadelphia personal injury cases is “filing fees,” and these commonly refer to the fees that are associated with the filing or the collecting of evidence that is directly related to your personal injury case.
Filing fees, while not applicable to every personal injury case, are important to understand because they will require an additional amount of compensation on your behalf, likely to the lawyer or team of lawyers that you are working with. Court reporter fees, for example, are another type of fee that can commonly be lumped together with filing and other smaller types of fees.
If you are reading this and are concerned about the amount of fees you may be responsible for, according to the Pennsylvania State Disciplinary Board and 204 Pa. Code Rule 1.5. Fees, “a lawyer shall not enter into an agreement for, charge, or collect an illegal or clearly excessive fee.” In the context of personal injury law in Philadelphia, this means that your attorney will be on your side and will not charge you an arm and a leg for their services.
Our attorneys are widely recognized by prestigious legal organizations for their professionalism, ethics, and client care. All five Munley Law partners feature in the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania list and the Irish Legal 100, and Daniel and Caroline Munley have both received Client Champion Awards for their outstanding service to our clients.
Additionally, our legal specialists have also been invited to join the American Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the American Board of Trial Advocates for their unwavering professional conduct and considerable litigation experience.
Frequently Asked Personal Injury Law Questions
What Percentage of the Settlement Will Go Towards a Contingency Fee?
Each personal injury lawsuit will require a different amount of lawyer’s fees. A personal injury lawyer will be compensated based on a case’s workload. Factors of your personal injury lawsuit that could impact fees include: the size of your expected settlement, how much evidence there might be to gather, and a variety of other factors. An experienced personal injury attorney will always tell you upfront what percentage of your settlement you can expect to pay to your personal injury lawyers. Again, your team of personal injury lawyers will only get paid if they win your case.
How Much is My Case Worth, and How Can I Be Sure My Personal Injury Attorney is Getting Me What I Deserve?
How Much is My Case Worth, and How Can I Be Sure My Personal Injury Attorney is Getting Me What I Deserve?Every personal injury lawsuit has unique details, challenges, and specifics that impact its value. For this reason, it’s hard to generally speak on how much a personal injury claim is worth. However, an experienced personal injury attorney can potentially provide you with an estimate based on the details of your case and similar personal injury lawsuits.
In order to make sure your Philadelphia personal injury attorney reaches a settlement that provides you with a fair settlement to recover from your injuries, it is important to hire a lawyer who has a winning track record.
What Happens if I Do Not Win My Case?
It is important to work with personal injury lawyers who understand the ins and outs of the Philadelphia legal system. You also want to make sure your Philadelphia personal injury attorney has a high rate of success when it comes to similar cases in the past.
Before taking on your case, most lawyers will make sure the case is solid and has a high probability of success. Taking all this into consideration, if you don’t win your case and the case is on a fee contingent basis, your personal injury lawyers charge nothing for the work they’ve done. That also means your lawyers want to make sure you get the compensation you are rightfully entitled to, and will do everything possible to help you win your case.
Every Philadelphia personal injury case is unique, so there could be a variety of reasons why you were not able to win your case. When searching for a lawyer, make sure you are comfortable with your attorney-client relationship. In the end, a good Philadelphia personal injury lawyer will do their best to explain the reasons why and what potential next steps you can take.
What Are the Other Types of Fees?
In addition to contingency and filing fees, there are some other fees that you should be made aware of prior to filing your lawsuit. The good news is that these fees are almost always relatively minor compared to the contingency fee that will only be paid if your lawyer wins their case.
Some of these other fees might include paying for a court reporter during depositions or hearings, office supplies specific to your case, like mailing or making copies, and fees for expert witnesses and investigators. For example, if you are trying to prove that a highway official acted negligently with an issue that caused an accident, it might be necessary to bring in a highway safety expert or an external investigator without ties to the local community. Lastly, there may also be some fees associated with bringing in a sheriff to deliver or to serve a summons, subpoena, or even a complaint.
Will My Lawyer Give Me an Estimate of the Costs?
Definitely! All lawyers are required to be upfront about any costs you might incur while settling your case. Of course, your lawyer will not just include your contingency fee information but will also give you information about the court reporter, expert witness, and investigator, and other fees that may become applicable during your case.
Since there are many nuances and every case is unique, it is best to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as you are able to, so they can walk you through the potential costs while also sharing helpful information about the personal injury legal process as a whole. Many of these costs are standard across the entire legal industry, and while you should work with a lawyer who knows the Philadelphia area well, you will likely pay similar filing and other types of legal fees across the board.
Is There Anything Else I Should Know About When it Comes to Personal Injury Legal Fees?
Since every Philadelphia personal injury case is different, everything related to that case will have some sort of variation as well. This means that while it might not be possible to predict exactly how much the fees will cost and how large your settlement may be, it is important to speak with a reputable attorney who has experience in these types of cases because they will be able to provide you with as much information as possible.
If your attorney has experience in dealing with personal injury cases in the greater Philadelphia region, they will be able to give you examples of similar cases to yours and what the outcome might be. Additionally, your lawyer will be able to share with you the different types of fees and how much was owed in each of these cases. If you have any questions or you are unsure about your case, the best thing to do is to talk with a skilled attorney as soon as you are able to.
Choose Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
When you are choosing the best personal injury lawyer for your Philadelphia personal injury case, it is important to work with someone who has experience, skills, and a winning record. Our team of personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys has been fighting for personal injury victims for nearly 70 years. We are passionate lawyers who want to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve to recover from your injuries.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if we win your case. Speak to a lawyer about the details of your case by contacting us today.
Marion Munley
Marion Munley has been practicing personal injury law for nearly 40 years. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy for Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy. She currently serves as Vice President of the American Association for Justice, an organization dedicated to safeguarding victims’ rights. Marion has won many multimillion-dollar recoveries for her clients, including one of the largest trucking accident settlements in history. She has been named a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania since 2023, a Best Lawyer in America, and was recently inducted to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.
