It is important to know when a contingent fee percentage will be calculated, as contingent fees generally do not cover additional expenses, such as court costs. Therefore, you should ask your attorney if the agreed contingent fee will be calculated after related expenses have been deducted from your settlement or before. Keep in mind that your lawyer will receive less money if the contingent fee is deducted after additional expenses have been subtracted from your award money as this reduces your total recovery amount.

Flat fees are another way lawyers can choose to be compensated for their time. A flat fee is a predetermined set amount of money a lawyer will charge you for his or her services. Flat fees are generally employed when a case is simple or routine. For example, flat fees are often used for drafting simple wills. As with the contingent fee, flat fees often do not cover additional expenses, such as photocopies and phone calls. Make sure you ask your attorney how these related costs will be applied to your bill.

Another fee arrangement utilized by lawyers is an hourly rate. When a lawyer charges you an hourly rate, you will be billed for each hour your attorney works on your case. In some cases, an attorney will charge a higher rate for court work hours and a lesser hourly rate for time spent researching and preparing for your case. Also, some attorneys will charge you an hourly rate until a prearranged maximum amount of costs has been reached.

When an hourly rate is charged by an attorney, keep in mind that the overall time spent on your case will be reduced if you have an experienced attorney representing you. As with all fees, be aware that additional out-of-pocket expenses may not be covered in the hourly rate. Be sure to ask your attorney what these additional expenses may be and how they will be charged to your account.

When discussing fees with your attorney, always ask for a written agreement of the terms. In addition to having the fee arrangement in writing, you should also ask your attorney about a payment schedule and how and when they want to be paid. All fees will be carefully documented by your attorney and you may contest your bill if the charges fall outside of your fee agreement.

It is also important to know that all types of fee schedules are negotiable as there is no standard percentage charged for contingent fees. There is also no standard hourly rate or flat rate charged by all attorneys. This being the case, it never hurts to ask if your attorney is willing to negotiate their fee. Often times, an attorney will be willing to reduce their fee if your case is exciting or if you have a lot of damages pending. If an attorney wants your business, they are usually inclined to negotiate a lower fee. For flat rates, it is harder to negotiate the fee as these are often simple legal transactions that the attorney encounters frequently. If you desire to negotiate a flat rate, your best option is to tell the attorney that you are in no rush and they can work on your business at their leisure. Attorney’s may consider lowering their flat rate if they do not have to prioritize your work.

One last word on negotiating fees. While it is always a good idea to ask if your attorney is willing to work for you at a reduced rate, be careful not to negotiate the rate to a level where it is not worth the attorney’s time to work diligently on your case. Ethically, if a lawyer agrees to a rate lower than their usual fee it should not affect their commitment to your case; however, be aware that when you negotiate fees to a baseline level, you just may be negotiating yourself to a second-class client.

A hit and run accident is one in which the operator of a motor vehicle runs into someone (or something) but doesn’t stop. It is called leaving the scene of an accident in the courts, and can result in death or severe injury. Law enforcement officials see this more often than you might think. They often refer to it as “hit and skip.”

Hit and Run Car Accident Types

At least one car must be involved in order to be deemed a hit and run car accident. This involves a driver making a mistake and making physical contact with another vehicle, a person, or any other property. The other vehicle can be parked with or without a driver inside, or it can be in motion.

A hit and run accident can occur when a motorist hits a pedestrian and leaves without checking the condition of the victim. In large cities, hit and run of pedestrians happens regularly and often goes unreported.

Frightening Statistics Regarding Hit and Run Accidents

In 2001, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, 3.8% of all the deadly crashes had a hit and run driver at the wheel. In California that same year, the number was 7.8%. In 2003, the Department of Transportation released a research paper that claimed 1 out of every 5 pedestrians killed on the highways was a hit and run victim.

Thankfully, many of the hit and run accidents do not result in death, but there can still be extensive injuries and substantial costs associated with them. Often victims are impaired for life and must learn to adapt as a result. This can include disability, loss of income, inability to work and care for family, and debts as a result of medical care.

Why Do Hit and Run Accidents Happen?

A hit and run car accident is generally because of inattention or recklessness. Some drivers are under the influence of alcohol and drugs, so they fear the consequences of being caught.

Other drivers are breaking the law at the time of the accident and expect to serve time if caught, or they are speeding and driving recklessly. Under age drivers who don’t have the training or a license to drive, or those with suspended licenses, account for many of the hit and run drivers.

Occasionally, a good driver who is not impaired or driving recklessly will hit someone and bolt because of the fear that it will lead to imprisonment or other penalties. The one thing that is true in every case is that the person who runs cares more for themselves than for the person who is wronged.

By a wide margin, the majority of all hit and run car accidents occur because the driver is impaired by way of drugs, alcohol, or inattentiveness, such as sleeping at the wheel or texting while driving.

 How to Prepare for a Hit and Run Car Accident

Anyone who is a survivor of a hit and run accident in which no one was seriously injured generally feels great relief at first because they are still alive. That feeling usually lasts a brief time as the awareness sets in that someone left an accident they caused without even checking to see if everyone was okay or take responsibility for their actions. It is no longer an “accident” when the at-fault party leaves the scene on purpose.

According to statistics, there are about 700,000 hit and run car accidents in the U.S. every year. Based on probabilities, you have a great chance of being involved in one in your lifetime. Knowing this, you probably should take some time to plan how you will handle it if it comes to pass.

Probably the best preparation for your protection is to talk with an insurance agent and make certain that you are covered in the event of a hit and run accident. If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage on your auto policy, you probably aren’t covered.

If you are walking when you are hit by a motorist, there is a greater chance of being severely injured, and it is hard to constantly be prepared and on guard for such an event.

If you are in your vehicle when an accident occurs, you might want to carry a disposable or inexpensive digital camera so you can snap pictures of damages and, with any luck, the car that leaves the scene of the accident.

What to Do if You are a Hit and Run Victim

1. You will probably want to get a hit and run lawyer after the accident, but the first thing to do is call the authorities. Legally, the police, sheriff’s office, or state troopers need to be notified of any accident immediately, and it is much more important following a hit and run accident. The legal profession has a very unfavorable view of hit and run drivers, and they will work diligently to find the culprit and bring them to justice.

2. Your next move should be to get pictures of the damage to your vehicle while you wait for the police to arrive. Photos of skid marks and/or other pertinent details are good to have.

3. After the police arrive and investigate the scene, go to the hospital to get checked out in case of any injuries that might not be obvious at first. This is for verification so that the insurance company cannot bow out if medical benefits are necessary.

4. Call your insurance agent and report the accident. If you prepared yourself properly, you will have uninsured motorist coverage so you won’t be responsible for your own expenses.

5. A final step you may want to take is to contact a hit and run lawyer, and discuss with him/her what you will need to do when (if) the police find the person responsible for the accident. You may not want to retain the attorney at that particular moment, but they are better able to advise you of the steps you should take to prepare for legal action.

Hopefully, you will never need the information contained here, but preparation for any catastrophe is always better than hoping it will never occur. Knowing what to do in such an emergency can make the difference in whether a hit and run driver is brought to justice or not.