There are many instances where a company can be sued for negligence. Medical negligence is not the only type of legal negligence to sue. In fact, negligence can be defined as a failure to use reasonable care, which results in an injury or damage. Some examples of negligence include getting a dog bite from someone’s unleashed dog, a breach of contract from a contractor, and a slip and fall on a wet floor without the wet floor sign in a restaurant. So, when you want to sue for negligence, consider the finances involved below.
Lawyer and Court Fees
There are tons of great lawyers who are licensed in your state, but they have different fees. Some will not collect anything unless you win. Some will require a retainer ranging from $2500 and up, and others may charge $100 and up an hour.
Then, there are other issues, including the type of negligence and what the lawyer must do to gain evidence. Simple negligence and gross negligence are two main degrees of negligence, and usually, simple negligence doesn’t take as much to prove to the court as gross negligence.
The Length of Time in Court
The length of time to prove legal negligence is also a huge factor. Some court cases can take some months. However, there are cases that took up to eight years to end. As far as the time period to appear for a hearing before an Administrative law judge, it may take six months to two years.
The Possibility of Appealing
There is also the possibility of appealing if you lose the lawsuit. The appealing process will include the additional cost of legal fees for lawyers to file the appeal and to work on the appeal.
How Much You Can Win From the Suit
Your winnings in court could possibly range as low as approximately $1000 to a few million dollars. There are many factors to this. For one, maybe you agreed to a negotiated settlement. So, for instance, you may have sued for $500,000, but you actually were able to negotiate $200,000 for the case.
After going through the court case and suing for damages, negotiations usually continue. So, to avoid a costly long trial, it will be in the interest of both sides to negotiate for the best possible settlement. And even though you’ll be settling for less money, it will make a huge difference in saving on possibly more court costs.
The Portion of the Court Winnings You Will Receive
Other than that, the lawyers will have their percentage to take out of the court winnings. These fees vary, but the standard percentage that lawyers receive could be around 33-40%. So, if you won $250,000, for instance, you’ll probably end up going home with $82,500.
Negligent lawsuits happen a lot in the country, and it’s your right to sue if a person or a company victimizes you through legal negligence. However, you must also consider all the costs associated with legal negligence, especially in a country that is one of the costliest. The United States is the most costly when it comes to the courts and medical care, as the U.S. spent approximately three times more on it than other countries worldwide. With all this said, the lawyer fees, court fees, possible appealing, and other considerations must be considered. Take all of this into consideration to determine how to go about pursuing a negligence lawsuit.