Suddenly losing a loved one in a terrible accident is traumatic enough, and the thought of filing a wrongful death claim against an insurance carrier may seem exhausting. The spouse, parents, adult children or other close relatives of the deceased person may consider hiring a Wrongful Death Attorney in Rapid City SD but worry about how to pay this lawyer. They can take solace in the fact that personal injury lawyers, including those who handle wrongful death claims, work on a contingent basis.
Paying a contingency fee means clients don’t have to make any upfront payments. Instead, the law firm receives a percentage of the settlement or court award. The client and attorney agree on that percentage ahead of time, and the lawyer can tell the client what type of settlement is likely. If the client will be responsible for any court costs, this is communicated ahead of time. This means there are no surprises in regard to legal fees. The clients can let the law firm handle the details of the case and not try to figure it out for themselves any longer.
A Wrongful Death Attorney in Rapid City SD typically only takes cases the firm is sure will be successful. Otherwise, they don’t receive any money, since they only are paid when a settlement or court award is provided. This works well for the clients, who know the lawyers will put forth every effort to acquire a reasonable settlement from the insurance carrier.
The clients may hope for a relatively quick settlement, but they should be aware that wrongful death cases can go on for many months as the legal team and the insurer negotiate. Nevertheless, most cases don’t go to court, which is an even lengthier process. Lawyers at a firm such as Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson and Ashmore prefer to avoid bringing these cases to trial, since clients then do not receive money for a long time. This can be a hardship for relatives of the deceased person, who may be dealing with the loss of that individual’s income as well as expenses associated with the fatality. However, the lawyers are completely ready to represent clients in court if the insurer refuses to make a reasonable offer.
