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If an attempt to settle a personal injury case by means of negotiations were to fail, then the plaintiff would have to give serious thought to the possibility of meeting the defendant in a courtroom setting. Money issues could play a major role in shaping the plaintiff’s decision.
Largest expenses, if case taken to court
The lawyer normally charges the plaintiff a higher contingency fee. In other words, the injury lawyer in Barrie takes a bigger percentage of any money that might be awarded to the client/plaintiff. So, rather than 30% of the award, the attorney receives 40%.
If the defendant must hire a personal injury lawyer in Barrie, that lawyer’s fee could range from a low of $150 per hour to a high of $400 per hour. If the lawyers on either side choose to seek the testimony of an expert witness, then that same expert needs to be paid for his or her time in court.
Additional expenses
The plaintiff must pay the cost of transportation to and from the courthouse. In addition, the plaintiff must pay the cost for parking at or near the same courthouse. If a message must be sent to a witness, the plaintiff needs to cover the cost that arises from the creation and delivery of that same message.
Courts charge a filing fee, whenever a potential plaintiff makes an effort to file a complaint.
Out-of-pocket costs: In addition to paying expert witnesses for their time, a plaintiff should volunteer to cover the costs incurred by any witness. That would include both the transportation expenses, the possible cost of a rented vehicle and the possible need to reimburse witnesses for the money spent on lodging.
The plaintiff’s lawyer might have out-of-pocket costs, such as the fee charged for obtaining the copy of a police report, or the client’s medical records. Lawyers can get reimbursed for those same expenses by taking more money from their client’s court-awarded judgment.
Plaintiff’s lost income
No one can predict how long a given case might last, once a trial has started. It could run longer than the amount of time that the plaintiff has available, in the form of vacation time or sick leave. Indeed, some injured plaintiffs have already used up all of their sick leave.
In other words, as the trial progresses, it becomes more and more likely that the plaintiff’s time must be given freely, without hope for any form of immediate remuneration. True, the plaintiff in a personal injury case has reason to hope for receipt of a court awarded judgment. Still, there is no way to know how soon those awarded funds might make their way to the lawyer’s office, and then to the expectant plaintiff’s bank account.