Time is Money; Hourly Billing Lawyers
Most lawyers charge hourly for their efforts. The best Wall Street lawyers from the top “silk stocking law firms” charge nearly one thousand dollars an hour or more ! And large corporations and insurance companies pay them a Retainer up front, or they do not even start working on the case ! Unfortunately most injured workers cannot afford to pay a Retainer of several thousands of dollars and an hourly attorney to represent their interests when they are out of work due to an on-the-job accident.
Herndon Virginia injury lawyer Doug Landau does the vast majority of his work on a “contingency fee basis“. A “contingent fee” means lawyer Landau and his team are not paid unless they are successful in winning the case in court, settling the case prior to trial, or resolving the matter through Mediation or Arbitration. If unsuccessful, the Abrams Landau trial team are not paid for their time and effort. Under this kind of Retainer (a legal contract), the injured victim is assured of the Herndon Virginia law firm’s best efforts, as Landau’s team is not reimbursed for their time if they are not successful.
Compare this with insurance defense lawyers who daily go to court in order to convince the judge to agree with their denials of the injured victim’s claim. These corporate lawyers are paid hourly, whether they win or lose. And, the insurance defense lawyers’ bills are usually paid monthly or quarterly, like clock work. The injured worker’s lawyer, on the other hand, is not paid until there is a decision from the court. This process often takes several months. Furthermore, if the insurance company’s lawyers appeal the decision, it could be more than a year until Landau and his staff are paid !
Since there is a time value to money, Landau’s payment of vital litigation expenses, and investment of time, are akin to “interest-free loans” for his clients. No commercial bank is going to make loans to an injured worker who is out of work, at no interest, with an uncertain ability to repay the loan months and years down the road.
That is yet another reason why getting an experienced trial lawyer with a winning track record early is so very important in these cases. If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a car, truck, bicycle or motorcycle crash, whether on the job or not, and there are questions about what laws apply, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) at once.