How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Manhattan Car Accident Attorney?

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Manhattan Car Accident Attorney?
Calendar icon January 31, 2023

After a car accident in Manhattan, many people are hesitant to contact a personal injury attorney because they fear they cannot afford to hire legal representation. However, that isn’t always the case. In truth, most Manhattan car accident attorneys work on what is called a “contingency fee agreement,” meaning it won’t cost you a penny upfront to secure a reputable attorney to handle your case.

Working with a car accident attorney can help greatly improve your chances of receiving a fair settlement from the insurance company, so what costs can you reasonably expect when you hire a legal professional?

Many Manhattan Accident Attorneys Offer Free Case Consultations

Contrary to what a lot of people may believe from movies or TV, you will most likely not have to pay anything to meet with an accident attorney to discuss your case. Since many injury attorneys in Manhattan work on a contingency fee agreement, case consultations (either via phone or in-person) are often free of charge. During a consultation, you can discuss the circumstances of your case and the attorney will be able to tell you whether or not they believe you have a valid case.

Since case consultations are generally risk-free, injury victims may decide to meet with multiple attorneys to determine who is the best fit for their case. This is an opportunity to ask what costs you can likely expect to pay out-of-pocket, how the attorney will get paid, and any other questions you may have about the attorney’s process in handling a case.

How Does An Accident Attorney Get Paid?

As mentioned above, many Manhattan accident attorneys work on what’s called a contingency fee agreement. With a contingency fee agreement, you do not pay any money upfront when you hire an attorney to represent you. Instead, you agree to pay the lawyer a percentage of the amount they recover for your claim, typically 33% in most cases. In other words, you agree to share any recovery from an insurance carrier or defendant with the attorney.

If your attorney is not able to recover anything for your claim, then you likely won’t owe anything. So, why would an attorney take a case on a contingency basis? They likely believe that they can retrieve the maximum compensation you deserve from the insurance companies on your behalf, and they do not want you to go without legal representation merely because you may not be able to afford to hire a lawyer after an accident.

What Costs Are Associated With My Case and Who Pays Them?

Generally speaking, your attorney will front the costs of the case as they are incurred. These costs can include:

  • Fees paid for copies and medical records
  • Accident report fees
  • Postage costs
  • Costs associated with investigating the incident

If your attorney and the insurance company are not able to reach a fair settlement, your attorney will begin the process of filing a case with the court. The costs of trial include:

  • Court filing fees
  • Deposition costs
  • Expert witness fees
  • Mediator fees

Why Should You Hire A Manhattan Car Accident Attorney?

After a car accident, many people believe that they can recover more money if they handle their claim on their own. In fact, the insurance adjuster will likely support that belief, as the adjuster will not tell you the actual value of your damages if it is greater than the settlement offer. It is important to remember that it’s the insurance adjuster’s job is to pay out as little as possible for your claim.

Many people are not aware that their claim could be worth significantly more money than the amount offered by the insurance company. The adjuster may not tell you that you may be eligible to receive compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering, or that you could be entitled to reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses in your economic damages such as co-pays, mileage to and from doctor’s appointments, and a variety of other expenses you may incur as a result of the collision. Likewise, they may not tell you that you could be entitled to future damages for permanent impairments that resulted from your accident.

If you choose to represent yourself in a car accident case, you are expected to understand the law, deadlines for filing claims and paperwork, and various defenses the insurance company could use to reduce your claim’s value. A car accident attorney, on the other hand, will work with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure that all of the correct paperwork is filed, and your damages are assessed correctly, and to negotiate a fair settlement for your claim.

Call The Manhattan Car Accident Attorneys At Cellino Law

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Manhattan, don’t wait to contact an injury attorney. At Cellino Law, our attorneys have decades of experience inside and out of the courtroom protecting injury victims from the insurance companies’ tactics to minimize your a victim’s compensation.

Contact us today for a no-risk, free case consultation at 888-888-8888.

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Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino. As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.

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  • This is to express our gratitude to you and your team in helping us and Stephanie navigate through the legal process following her car accident. We are very satisfied with the outcome and grateful for your hard work and attention to details. We fell confident that with this compensation, Stephanie will be able to move forward with her studies and her life with the ability to care for some of her health needs resulting from the injuries sustained following her car accident. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless your efforts.

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  • Cellino Law was a great company to work with. From the beginning they came out and met with my uncle and myself and assured us that everything would be taken care of from beginning to end our lawyer state and constant contact with us to make sure that everything would go smoothly and it did. I would definitely recommend anybody to go to Cellino Law for whatever help they need. And specifically please ask for the lawyer that we had Mr. Alan Silverstein. He was amazing and his staff was always attentive. Please go with them for your next law needs.

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  • Joe and I just wanted to send you this note thanking you for the professional way you handled our lawsuit. Your kindness was extremely appreciated in a very difficult time. When we found out the people that caused the accident had no insurance, we thought our chances of receiving any settlement was nonexistent. Once we met with you and released you were able to help us our minds were put at ease. Your aggressive manner of handling the case exceeded our expectations. Please feel free to use us as a reference. Thank you so much and best wishes,

    Danielle and Joe

  • Choosing the right attorney to represent you after an accident can make all the difference. This is no cliche. I recently experienced these words to live by first hand. After a tractor trailer rear ended me at high speed in 2017 I retained Allan Silverstein to handle my case. I quickly realized that bringing a lawsuit rapidly snowballs into a mountain of details that can make or break your results. Documents, case histories, doctor visits, bills, and lots of phone calls all need to be accurately kept track of if a successful outcome it to be attained. To complicate matters I reside in New York and the incident took place in New Jersey. Luckily, Allan was licensed in multiple states. I was fortunate to find Allan to handle this matter from the New York area. Armed with an accurate account of the facts Allan went to work on the difficult job of negotiating with the defending insurance company as well as my no fault carrier in order to obtain the best possible outcome for my set of circumstances. In a lawsuit communication is key and and events can be of a timely nature. Allan never failed to return my calls - usually the same day! He fought skillfully and respectfully to get me the best possible settlement. He is easy to deal with and a likeable down to earth guy. He always listened with compassion and respect to my issues. He guided me with objective understanding as well as a realistic analysis of the merits of my case. When we finally settled Allan got me a fair agreement beyond my expectations and negotiated with my doctors to make sure all my bills were paid. It was a great experience having Allan represent me. Quality work in any aspect of life is hard to find. Quality is what I got with Allan Silverstein. I highly recommend him if you find yourself in need of a personal injury attorney.

    Theodore