Worrying about costs when seeking legal services is common. After all, even if you have a strong case, you may not be able to afford the upfront costs of taking legal action. This is where contingency fees come in. Under a contingency fee arrangement, there are no upfront costs for you. We only get paid if we win your case. We take an agreed-upon percentage of the total recovery if and when we secure the settlement or verdict you deserve.

Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. understands that victims and families have enough to worry about after an accident. This is why we work on a contingency fee basis.

Call one of our personal injury lawyers to discuss how a contingent fee will work in your case.

The Basics of Contingency Fees

Contingent fees are payments to your attorney that only occur when your personal injury claim settles, or you win your case at trial. In other words, with a contingency fee, payment for your lawyer’s services is contingent upon whether or not you receive some amount of compensation.

A contingency fee is an agreed-upon percentage of your recovery. The percentage varies from firm to firm but is often around 33% of your settlement if the case settles before a lawsuit is filed, and often goes up to 40% if a lawyer needs to file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Why You Should Hire Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.

For more than 50 years, the Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyers of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. have successfully represented individuals and families who have been injured or lost loved ones due to someone else’s negligence.

When you work with our attorneys, you increase your chances of recovering:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost work wages and future earnings
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Here is a small sample of some of our successful verdicts and settlements: 

• $15 million for a woman who was permanently paralyzed from the neck down due to being struck by a stray bullet.
• $6 million on behalf of a man who suffered a brain injury due to a rear-end collision.
• $5 million medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a 14-year-old client who suffered a severe brain injury as a result of a doctor’s inappropriate use of a chemical product.
• $4.8 million on behalf of a severely injured man when his motorcycle struck a trailer being pulled by a minivan.
• $4.5 million for a woman who was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident after being struck from behind by a transit bus in a crosswalk.

See additional examples of our case victories and settlements on our “Case Results” page.

Other Legal Costs Associated with Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

There are other costs associated with filing a personal injury lawsuit, beyond the contingency fee you will pay to your lawyer. These are known as litigation costs and can include:

• Court filing fees – Every state has different court filing fees. The fees charged by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, or different then the fees charged by Circuit Courts in Maryland or Virginia.  Federal Courts also have different filing fees.
• Discovery costs – Discovery is gathering evidence and information from the other side in a lawsuit. This can be done through depositions, interrogatories, and document requests.
• Obtaining evidence – Obtaining evidence such as copies of public documents and medical records can cost up to a few hundred dollars in a case.
• Expert witnesses – You may need to hire expert witnesses to write reports and testify on your behalf. These witnesses can be expensive, and their fees will typically be in addition to the contingency fee you pay your lawyer.

Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.advances these expenses, so that you do not incur any upfront charges. We understand that most people could not afford to pay these expenses, and we want to make sure that all individuals, regardless of their economic status, have the ability to pursue a case, if they were injured by no fault of their own.  

The Benefits of Working with Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. on a Contingency Fee Agreement

Our firm has worked with thousands of clients throughout the years, and we believe contingency fees make for the best fee arrangements. Here’s why:

• After accidents and injuries, victims and families face many physical, emotional, and financial burdens. Contingency fee agreements mean they won’t have to worry about additional out-of-pocket expenses.
• Injured victims can focus on their recoveries rather than worrying about how to pay for an attorney.
• Contingency fees level the playing field between victims and large insurance companies or corporations. By funding cases ourselves, we are not limited by the amount of money clients can afford to pay. If needed, we can pay for the resources and experts needed to create a winning case.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today

At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we believe everyone has the right to excellent legal representation, regardless of how much money they have – and we firmly believe contingency fees help victims gain access to skilled and experienced lawyers.

If you are looking for the highest level of representation available for your personal injury case, turn to Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. Our firm has helped clients recover more than $500 million in compensation, and we have more than 100 years of combined experience. All of our partners are recognized by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers®, and our firm includes three past presidents of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.We work to help our clients obtain fair settlement offers to compensate them for the injuries they’ve suffered, but our attorneys are extremely well-equipped to go to trial if needed. Call (202) 659-8600  or contact us online to get the proven legal representation you deserve.