If your child was injured before, during or shortly after being born and you believe that medical malpractice was the cause of that injury, you may want to consider filing a lawsuit. The idea of hiring an attorney is always intimidating. Most families wonder about the cost. Here is some information to help you understand how the personal injury attorneys who specialize in cerebral palsy claims work.
Contingency
Contingency agreements quite literally put the attorney’s pay on a contingency. The contingency is that they must win (and put money in your pocket) in order to earn their fee. If the attorney does not win your claim, you literally owe them nothing for the time and effort spent on your case.
When you meet with a cerebral palsy attorney that takes claims on contingency, they’ll let you know what they’re fees are, and how their costs will be calculated into the award you’re seeking from the jury.
The jury may or may not award you 100% of your damages if you win, but it is your attorney’s job to advocate on your behalf. Listen to their advice, but know that you are the ultimate decision maker. If you’re offered a settlement in order to avoid trial, your attorney can offer their input, but nothing will be agreed to without your express approval.
Time Limits
There are time limits on how long you have to act if you want to sue a doctor for a medical negligence claim. There will be an investigation in any instance where a child is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy to determine how the injury occurred. If you hire an attorney, they will likely want to conduct their own investigation as well to ensure everything was done properly.
The best thing to do if you’re considering filing a cerebral palsy lawsuit is to discuss it with an attorney as soon as possible. Once your time limit for filing a claim has passed, you have lost the option to pursue legal action at all.
It doesn’t cost anything to call an attorney, and in fact, not Cerebral Palsy lawyers never ask for a penny out of pocket to handle your case. If you’re not sure about whether or not you want to go ahead and file a lawsuit, give an attorney a call and ask them how long you have to decide. This way, you can at least be more-informed about your options.