One of our most frequently asked questions is, “Do you offer free consultations?” The answer is yes! But is this common among Alberta personal injury lawyers? Many people, when they think of lawyers, think of expensive legal fees, high costs, and big bills. And it’s true that most lawyers are paid by the hour, and charge high hourly rates. But injury lawyers are different.
How Are Injury Lawyers Different From Other Lawyers?
There are 2 main ways that our injury lawyers differ from other lawyers:
- Injury lawyers offer free initial consultations
- Injury lawyers offer contingency fees
At Litco Law, we’ll also cover the cost of your disbursements throughout your claim, so that you don’t have to worry about unexpected expenses during your claim. Many personal injury firms will not cover these costs, so it’s an important question to ask when you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer.
Let’s explore each of these.
Free Initial Consultations
In Alberta, virtually all injury lawyers offer free initial consultations. Usually, this means that you meet with a lawyer and perhaps other members of the law firm’s legal team for a set time to go over your injury claim and get some free legal advice. During this consultation, the lawyer also assesses your claim to determine if it is likely to be successful. Most free injury lawyer consultations in Alberta last for 30–60 minutes, depending on factors such as the firm’s policies, the value, complexity, or severity of your claim, or the number of people involved in the claim with you (for example, multiple family members in a car accident together). At Litco Law, you are never rushed. Consultations can be longer if necessary, to allow the lawyer to gather all the important facts and answer all of your questions. Free initial consultations usually take place at the lawyer’s office, but injury lawyers across Alberta, and especially in Calgary and Edmonton, are increasingly offering more options to potential clients, including:
- House calls;
- Hospital calls;
- Meeting at a location of your choosing;
- Phone consultations;
- Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, or other video consultations.
Preparing For Your Free Consultation
Prior to meeting for your free initial consultation, your injury lawyer may ask you to prepare. The lawyer will likely ask you to bring important information about your claim with you such as:
- A police report;
- Witness statements;
- Insurance information;
- Photographs of injuries or the accident location;
It’s a great idea to come prepared with a list of questions you want the lawyer to answer during the consultation.
What If I Don’t Want to Hire the Injury Lawyer After the Free Consultation?
Most personal injury lawyers in Edmonton offer free consultations with no obligation. That means you can meet with the lawyer but you don’t have to hire them, or pay for the consultation if you choose not to hire that lawyer. Some folks like to shop around and meet with multiple injury lawyers for free consultations. At Litco Law, you are never under any obligation to hire us. Our legal team is here to answer your questions in a way that’s easy to understand (no legalese). And if a claim isn’t in your best interest, we’ll tell you that too. You decide how you’d like to move forward.
5 Essential Questions to Ask Your Legal Team
If you have recently been injured in an accident, the days and weeks that follow can be confusing and stressful. You’ve likely had to fill out police reports and insurance forms, make statements, visit the doctor, and book endless appointments. A lot of people go into their first appointment with a personal injury law firm feeling uneasy. But a good lawyer should reduce your stress, not add to it. If you are feeling unsure of how to prepare or what questions to ask, we got you.
1. What percentage of your practice is in personal injury law?
Don’t be afraid to ask this question upfront. It’s vitally important to choose a lawyer who practices personal injury law. There are so many intricacies to injury law and it really takes someone who knows this area of law inside and out to get you the compensation you deserve. You owe it to yourself to receive the best representation.
2. How will I know what is happening with my case?
Lawyers are busy. So are doctors, mechanics, dentists, servers… you get the idea. If a law firm agrees to take on a client, they should have the capacity to stay in regular contact with that client and keep them informed on their case. It may be that a legal assistant is your main point of contact and that’s fine, as long as they answer all your questions (through your lawyer) and keep you up to date. At Litco Law, you get an entire team dedicated to your case. We’ll always keep you in the loop and reach out to you every 30 days or less, so many of your questions are answered before you even think to ask.
3. How much will this cost?
Does the lawyer work on a contingency fee basis? Typically, injury lawyers work on a contingency basis which means that you won’t have to pay the legal fees until your claim is settled. At Litco Law, we explain everything in your consultation so there aren’t any surprises and we’ll also cover the up-front costs of your disbursements. Personal Injury lawyers have different practices around charging for disbursements, so be sure to ask.
4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
What is the likelihood of getting a desirable outcome? Based on the information you bring to the initial meeting, the legal team should be able to speak candidly about the potential strengths and weaknesses of your case. It may be that they need more information beyond what was brought to the consult, but this should be a frank discussion. While a lawyer can’t promise a specific outcome, in most cases they should be able to provide concrete reasons why they think your claim would be successful. At Litco Law, we’ll tell you if we think it isn’t in your best interest to pursue a claim.
5. How long will it take to resolve this claim?
This depends on various factors. The timeline for an injury case is usually dependent on your injuries and recovery. In order to get fair compensation for your injuries, we need to know the full extent of your injuries and how long they will impact your life. Some injuries don’t appear right away and others take longer than expected to heal or have a greater impact on your future than you might have first expected. If a person settles before the long-term impact of their injuries is fully realized, they may not receive the compensation they could be entitled to.
Don’t feel pressured into making a decision right away. Hiring an accident injury law firm is a very important decision that comes at what is already a very stressful time. Take your time to review the legal team’s answers to your questions before proceeding to next steps.
Contingency Fees
Almost all injury lawyers in Alberta offer contingency fees. Very simply, this means the lawyer doesn’t get paid unless and until you get paid. In other words, the lawyer’s fees are “contingent” or dependent on an event happening. For injury lawyers, the event that has to happen before they get paid is that they successfully recover money for you by resolving your claim, either through a negotiated settlement or in a court of law. If you’re shopping for a personal injury lawyer, here is some important information about the differences in injury lawyers’ contingency fees.
Litco Law Covers the Cost of Disbursements
Every legal action costs money, and not just lawyers’ fees. There are always expenses associated with pursuing an injury claim, and these expenses are called disbursements. Disbursements in an injury claim run from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the severity and complexity of your claim. They include things like:
- A police report for a motor vehicle accident;
- A land titles search for a slip and fall;
- Medical reports;
- Treatment charts from doctors and other medical providers; and
- Expert witness assessments and reports.
It’s important to know that not all Alberta personal injury lawyers will cover the cost of these disbursements during your claim – be sure to ask. At Litco Law, we’ll cover these costs while your claim is ongoing. When a claim is resolved, an experienced Alberta injury lawyer will typically recover all of the disbursements from the insurance company of the person(s) you made the claim against. If for any reason your claim is not resolved, you don’t owe us anything.
If Most Injury Lawyers in Alberta Offer Free Consultations and Contingency Fees, How Do I Choose?
If many personal injury law firms offer free consultations and contingency fees, you may be asking, “How do I pick the best injury lawyer for me and my claim?” We have written this article to help you answer that exact question.
Litco Law – Alberta’s Largest Personal Injury Law Firm
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Alberta, Litco Law offers free consultations that are convenient for you. Our consultations are truly free, which means you are under no obligation to hire us. And if you choose us to help you resolve your claim, we don’t get paid unless and until you do. And we’ll cover your disbursements while the claim is ongoing. We’ve been helping injured Albertans since 1976, and we’re standing by to help you when you’re ready. Get all your injury claim questions answered by a lawyer, for free – call or email us today to book your consultation.
