How to Afford a Personal Injury Lawyer

Every year, millions of people suffer personal injuries as a result of the negligence of others. However, many people talk themselves out of pursuing legal action because they believe they can’t afford a personal injury lawyer.

The truth is that most people can find an affordable solution to their legal needs.

How Personal Injury Lawyers Typically Work

Your personal injury lawyer is indispensable in your pursuit of justice. While it’s technically possible to represent yourself, this is a horrendously bad idea. Not only will you not understand the law, but you won’t have a fraction of the experience or expertise necessary to authoritatively handle negotiations or, God forbid, a trial.

Your personal injury lawyer will start by reviewing your case, going over the details of your injury, and determining whether there’s sufficient evidence to move forward with a legal claim. If they decide to proceed, they’ll help you understand the next steps of the process, which will include gathering evidence, reaching out to the defendant, filing the requisite paperwork, and eventually entering negotiations. Most personal injury cases settle out of court, meaning you’ll receive a settlement, and both parties will avoid the expenses and inconveniences of going to trial.

What’s important to note here is that most personal injury lawyers won’t charge you upfront. Instead, they’ll be more than willing to offer you an initial consultation for free – and they’ll probably continue working with you, only charging you once a settlement is reached. These types of lawyers make their money based on how much money they make for you; if you don’t receive a settlement at all, you may not even have to pay.

Because of this, even if you’re on a razor-thin budget, and even if you’re currently out of work, you should be able to afford a personal injury lawyer. Call a few personal injury lawyers in your area to see what their fee structure is like, and you’ll probably find one willing to work with you with no money upfront.

Getting Additional Financial Help

Of course, simply working with a lawyer doesn’t make all your financial problems go away. If you’re currently out of work because of your injury, or if you’re dealing with other financial pressures, you may face significant financial hardship on the road to receiving your personal injury settlement.

These are some strategies that can help you in this scenario:

Work with your lawyer. Talk to your lawyer about your financial situation. They may not be financial experts, but they’ve probably helped many clients like you in the past, and they probably have connections to resources that can help you.
Talk to medical providers. As a result of your injuries, you probably have compounding medical bills piling up. Most medical providers are willing to work with you, especially if they know you have pending legal action, so consider negotiating for a lower amount or delaying your payments.
Think about legal funding. Legal funding is a specialized financial product designed for people who have recently been personally injured. In this arrangement, if you qualify, you’ll receive a lump sum of money upfront, and you’ll pay back that money with a small bit of interest or a fixed fee once you receive a settlement. Just be sure to do your due diligence so you know exactly how much you’re going to owe once that settlement comes in.
Tap into your savings. Failing that, consider tapping into your savings as a temporary measure. If you have emergency savings, now might be the best time to use them, especially if you plan on winning a sizable settlement or if you’re going to get back to work soon. Tapping into retirement savings is a bit riskier, but it’s worth considering as an alternative to maxing out your credit cards.
Consider picking up odd jobs. Even if you can’t work, there are probably lots of odd jobs and side gigs you can do. Many of these jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home, using little more than a laptop and an internet connection. Make sure to talk to your doctor and your lawyer to verify that these options are appropriate, given the nature of your injury.

People believe lawyers are expensive, and in some cases, they are. But in other cases, lawyers are willing to work with you for free until they win you a settlement, at which point, they’ll take their fee out of the settlement amount. At the very least, you should be entitled to an initial consultation for free.

Accordingly, even if you’re in dire financial straits, it’s a good idea to talk to a personal injury lawyer if you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s actions or negligence.