 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
The majority of our personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. That is, if you do not receive monetary compensation for your injuries and/or damages, we do not charge a fee. All initial consultations for personal injury are free. Lawyers' fees in Alberta are regulated by the Alberta Rules of Court and the Code of Professional Conduct. An Alberta Lawyer may not enter into an agreement for, charge, or collect a contingency fee which is clearly excessive. We charge a sliding scale percentage starting at 25% for motor vehicle accidents or 30% for most other cases, and rising at certain predefined steps. (< back) 2. What are the costs associated with hiring a lawyer ? Costs (also called "disbursements") are out of pocket expenses necessary for the prosecution of a case. Filing fees, the cost of medical records and examination expenses are examples of such costs. Costs are typically advanced by our office on behalf of our client and then deducted from the client's recoveries. Further, in qualifying motor vehicle accident cases, in the event you do not receive any recovery, we will absorb all our file disbursements including all the costs for our medical and expert reports. (< back) 3. Can we settle out of court ? The simple answer is maybe. A claim can be settled at any time. It can be settled before suit is filed, after suit is filed and even after the outcome of a trial is known. In practice the vast majority of cases are settled after suit is filed but before trial. (< back) 4. How much is my claim worth ? This is a very difficult question to answer without knowing more about your case. Depending on the type of case there may be different elements of damages which you and your family members may be entitled to recover. Some of these elements of damages may be for economic damages like lost wages or medical expenses. Some may be for non-economic damages, or damages which have no exact measure, like pain and suffering or the loss of enjoyment of life. In order to give you a more accurate assessment it would be necessary for us to speak with you to obtain some information from you. Further, until you have healed as much as possible, no lawyer will be able to tell how much your claim is worth, or how much compensation you should receive. (< back) 5. How long should the process take ? This is a very difficult question to answer with any certainty and depends on a variety of factors. Firstly, we will not attempt to settle your claim until your injuries have either reached a point of "maximum medical improvement" or the status of your injuries has plateaued and you are not expected to make further improvements. This is important because in order to be able to quantify your damages we have to know the full extent of your injuries. Generally, the more severe the injuries or the longer they persist the greater the resulting damages. Again, in order to give you a more accurate assessment it would be necessary for us to speak with you to obtain some information from you. (< back) |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
