How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Boulder, CO?
Colorado accident victims usually share two common concerns. First is whether they’ll need a lawyer. Second, how much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Colorado? For most people, it is intimidating to think about hiring a lawyer and what that might mean financially.
Fortunately, most personal injury attorneys in Colorado take cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that the client does not pay for legal services until the attorney recovers financial compensation for a personal injury claim. This allows people on limited budgets to fight for their legal rights to the fullest extent in a personal injury case.
Over $50M Recovered in the Past 7 Years
At the Tenge Law Firm, LLC, our goal is to achieve the best possible result for our clients as soon as possible. Each case and each client is different, so we work directly with clients to meet their needs for medical care and personal situations. We have enjoyed great success, with exceedingly high client satisfaction, using this approach.
-
$3,250,000 Rollover auto accident involving defective roof and serious injuries
-
$1,475,000 Auto accident with head, neck and back injuries
-
$950,000 Car accident with brain injury and orthopedic injuries
-
$750,000 Policy Limits – Low speed auto accident leading to minor stroke
-
$533,000 Trial Verdict - Client hit by airborne patio umbrella with facial scar and concussion.
-
$450,000 Pedestrian hit by car
-
$300,000 Four-car accident resulting in vertebral fracture and facial injuries
-
$200,000 Auto accident with facial injuries
-
$120,000 Slip-and-fall at fast food restaurant
How Do Lawyers Usually Charge for Services?
Aside from contingency fees, lawyers typically bill clients through hourly fees or fixed-rate fees.
Hourly Fees
Hourly rates are based on a set fee for the time that an attorney spends actually working on the case.
At the start of an hourly fee case, lawyers will typically require a retainer from which they begin billing. The retainer amount will usually depend on the complexity of the case, and the hourly fee is based on the lawyer’s experience or a rate set by their law firm.
Hourly fees must be reasonable and are typically associated with the following types of cases:
- Civil litigation
- Family law
- Criminal law
- Complex business litigation
The lawyer will track the time they spend working the case, create itemized statements showing the time spent on each task, and periodically send invoices for attorney fees to the client.
Fixed-Rate Fees
Fixed-rate legal fees are when a lawyer and client agree to a flat fee for a certain service. This avoids complications and surprises after the work has been done.
Some legal services that might be done at a fixed rate include:
- Preparing wills, trusts, and other estate-planning documents
- Drafting business contracts
- Drafting real estate purchase agreements
- Issuing demand letters on behalf of a client.
Usually, lawyers charge fixed fees for services that they are accustomed to doing and know how much time will be involved.
Hundreds of 5-star Reviews. Exceptional Results
-
"Definitely made it a stress-free experience"
Brenda was my attorney. She was amazing, helped me through the whole process. Definitely made it a stress-free experience, especially after going through something so traumatic! Was extremely attentive and always kept me updated on how my case was going! I would 1000% recommend them to everyone and anyone!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
- Zitlaly O. -
"They treated me like family"
Todd, Liz and Nina were amazing. They handled my case very professionally. I recommend this law firm to anyone looking for a great firm. They treated me like family
- Jenn K. -
"Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient"
I highly recommend this law firm! They take care of everything in a timely manner & alleviate any harassment while you recover from injuries. Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient...if you need an attorney, Tenge Law is the place to go!
- Betty C. -
"Would highly recommend to anyone!!"
Tenge Law Firm helped me out when I was in a accident that involved my whole family. They were great and fast with the entire process, and were awesome at keeping me updated throughout the entire process. Would highly recommend to anyone!!
- Zack K. -
"They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well."
Paige and Nina were a delight to work with. They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well. They made me feel like I was in good hands and could trust them!
- Rachel V.
How Do Contingency Fees Work?
In a contingency fee arrangement, attorney fees are based on a percentage of the overall settlement value or jury verdict. Prior to representation, the lawyer and client will agree on the fee percentage the attorney or law firm will be allowed to collect. This contingency fee agreement is made before work is done on the case. In a contingency fee case, lawyers are paid at the end of the case, not upfront.
The typical contingency fee in a Colorado personal injury case is about 33-40% of the recovered case value or damages recovered.
A contingency fee arrangement will also involve costs and expenses.
Some costs and expenses connected to a personal injury claim can include:
- Postage, copies, and office expenses
- Costs for preparing for and taking depositions
- Fees for expert witnesses
- Costs to obtain medical records, police records, and accident reports
- Court filing fees and related expenses
- Preparation for trial exhibits
- Travel expenses
- Costs to obtain and prepare digital evidence.
Other costs can include medical bills from your injuries, medical liens, or subrogation claims from insurance companies. These costs are typically deducted and paid through your settlement. Since most law firms pay advance costs for their clients, reimbursement for these costs will come from settlement values. This motivates your personal injury lawyers to collect the highest dollar amount possible to fairly cover your expenses and attorney fees and leave you with enough to fairly compensate you for your injuries and emotional distress.
Before agreeing to a contingency fee arrangement with a personal injury lawyer, you will want to make sure you have a clear understanding of how the fees are calculated. For example, you want to know whether your attorney will use the gross settlement amount to calculate their fee or if they deduct costs, liens, and other expenses beforehand.
-
Reviews
When our clients are happy, they say so. Whether we’re being described for how well we communicate, our responsiveness, or the quality of our service, we’re consistently rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by those we represent.
-
Ratings
As an industry leader in the field of personal injury, we're proud to maintain a superb 10.0 out of 10.0 rating on AVVO.com, have a preeminent AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and have recently been awarded Client Champion Platinum status from Lawyers.com.
-
Results
In the last ten years, we've recovered $50 million on behalf of our clients. Our motto is simple - You do what you need to do physically recover, and we'll handle the rest.
At the Tenge Law Firm, we feel a profound responsibility to ensure our client’s physical and emotional well being during one of the worst times of their life. We've put together a page of resources to help you gain legal expertise and education about the law.
What Are the Guidelines for Contingency Fee Arrangements in Colorado?
Contingency fee arrangements must comply with the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct.
This means that the fee agreement must include:
- The terms of the agreement, in writing, from the lawyer to the client either before or within a “reasonable time” after representation starts
- The name of the lawyer and the client
- The nature of the claim involved, the services to be provided, and the circumstances under which the attorney can collect payment
- The method for determining the attorney fee, including the percentage going to the lawyer at final disposition
- Whether the attorney fee will be calculated before or after the deduction of costs and expenses advanced by the lawyer or law firm
These and other requirements are among the guidelines for contingency fees under Colorado law. As you can see, lawyers have clear rules to follow to protect themselves and also their clients. This means you can expect a clear explanation of how contingency fees work in Colorado. These guidelines also help set expectations for how much it really costs to hire a personal injury lawyer in Boulder, Colorado.
Contact a Boulder Personal Injury Attorney Today
Don’t fear up-front attorney fees if you need a Boulder personal injury lawyer. Our dedicated legal team at Tenge Law Firm, LLC, offers free consultations to discuss the availability of contingency fees and your full legal rights in a Colorado personal injury claim.
Contact us at (720) 897-3410 to schedule an appointment.
