After a truck accident in St. Louis, many people worry about the cost of hiring a lawyer. Large trucking companies and their insurance carriers fight hard to avoid paying victims fairly, so having an attorney helps level the playing field.
The good news is that most truck accident lawyers use fee structures that make legal help affordable, even if the client cannot pay up front. Understanding how these fees work can help you decide whether to get legal representation after a crash.
Most Truck Accident Lawyers Use Contingency Fees
In almost all truck accident cases, attorneys work on a contingency fee. This means you typically don’t pay anything up front. Instead, the lawyer only gets paid if they win or settle your case.
A contingency fee usually covers:
- The lawyer’s time and work
- Legal research
- Negotiations with the insurance company
- Case preparation
- Trial representation, if needed
If the attorney recovers money for you, they take a percentage of the settlement or verdict as their fee. If the case is not successful, you generally owe no attorney’s fees.
Typical Contingency Fee Percentages
The typical contingency fee percentage depends on many factors, including:
- Complexity of the case
- How long the case takes to resolve
- Whether the case goes to trial
- Experience level of the lawyer
Contingency fees are standard in the personal injury field, particularly for truck accidents. These cases often involve multiple parties, federal trucking regulations, and substantial damages, all of which can increase the complexity of the case.
Case Costs vs. Attorney Fees
Attorney fees and case costs are not the same thing—case costs may include:
- Filing fees
- Costs for accident reconstruction experts
- Medical record fees
- Court reporter fees
- Travel costs
- Depositions
- Investigative services
Most truck accident lawyers front these costs and deduct them from the settlement at the end. Some firms bill these costs separately. Clients should always review their fee agreement to understand how costs are handled.
Why Truck Accident Cases Generally Cost More to Handle
Truck accident cases can be expensive because they require more investigation than standard car accidents.
Commercial trucks are governed by federal rules of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and cases often involve:
- Driver logbooks
- Black box (ECM) data
- Truck maintenance records
- Employment files
- Safety inspections
- Trucking company policies
Gathering this evidence takes time and resources. Experts may be needed to examine braking systems, weigh station records, or crash dynamics. Generally, these cases tend to be more complex than other motor vehicle accident cases, leading to increased costs.
This is why contingency fees and case-cost arrangements are common; they enable clients to move forward without incurring these expenses up front.
What You Get When Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer
Hiring a truck accident attorney provides important benefits, such as:
- Investigating the crash
- Preserving black box and electronic data
- Identifying every responsible party
- Handling insurance adjusters
- Negotiating settlements
- Preparing the case for trial
- Calculating long-term damages, including future medical care and lost earning ability
Most importantly, hiring a lawyer allows you to focus on your health and medical recovery while they handle the legal side.
Why Hiring a Lawyer Is Worth the Cost
Insurance companies in truck accident cases often have large legal teams that do everything possible to minimize payouts to crash victims.
They may try to:
- Shift blame onto the victim
- Downplay injuries
- Dispute medical treatment
- Offer low settlements
- Delay the claim
A lawyer helps fight these tactics and puts pressure on the insurer to negotiate fairly. Because fees are based on the final recovery, your lawyer is motivated to obtain the highest settlement possible.
Contact Our St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Most people pay nothing up front to hire a truck accident lawyer in St. Louis. Instead, attorneys are paid only if they win or settle the case through a contingency fee. This structure enables injured victims to access legal assistance without incurring financial risk, while also providing them with strong representation against powerful trucking companies and insurers.
If you need help after a truck crash, call Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to learn more about your options. Our St. Louis truck accident lawyers offer free consultations.
For more information, please contact Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer in St. Louis, MO, today. We have two convenient locations in Missouri, including St. Louis and Richmond Heights.
We proudly serve St. Louis County and its surrounding areas.
Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Louis Office
10 S Broadway #560
St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 932-1066
Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers – Richmond Heights Office
1034 S Brentwood Blvd Penthouse 1-C
Richmond Heights, MO 63117
(314) 463-4173
