Savings tip in the event of an accident: free help from a personal injury lawyer!
Perhaps you have already had to deal with a legal dispute. For example, because you have had a conflict with your employer or a divorce. Then you probably know that hiring a good lawyer is not cheap. An hourly rate of € 200.00 or more is the rule rather than the exception.
You can of course negotiate with a lawyer about the amount of his or her hourly rate. Ultimately, you will be presented with a hefty bill, sometimes thousands of euros. But is there no way to save on lawyer costs? Certainly, but this depends on the type of lawyer you need.
Free help from a personal injury lawyer in the Netherlands
In several countries there are regulations regarding the costs of a personal injury lawyer. We find the best arrangement in the Netherlands. If you need a personal injury lawyer in Utrecht (Dutch: letselschade advocaat Utrecht) here because you were hit by a car in this city, then you may not have to pay this lawyer anything at all. The same applies if you need a personal injury lawyer in The Hague (Dutch: Letselschade advocaat Den Haag) after an industrial accident in The Hague. But what about this?
The Dutch Civil Code contains an article that deals with the costs incurred to recover damages. This concerns Article 6:96 of the Civil Code. This states that the reasonable costs that must be incurred to claim compensation are part of these costs. In other words, if someone has to incur costs to recover damages after, for example, a traffic accident or industrial accident, the liable party must also pay the costs incurred by the victim in order to recover compensation. This also includes the costs of a personal injury lawyer!
So, there is no discount on a personal injury lawyer in the Netherlands, if someone else is liable, you are even entitled to free legal help from a personal injury lawyer! Please note, this only applies to the extrajudicial process. If legal proceedings ultimately must take place, you will pay the lawyer’s costs and all other costs such as those of the court itself.
Reimbursement of attorney’s fees in other countries
The system that applies in the Netherlands is not known anywhere in Europe. But does this mean that you always must pay the costs of a lawyer yourself in other countries?
Several countries also have regulations that allow you to receive a discount on a lawyer’s bill. However, this is different in every country. For example, do you need a personal injury lawyer in Germany? There too, a regulation applies that stipulates that part of the bill for a personal injury lawyer is paid. A personal injury lawyer in Germany can provide more information about this. In addition, there is a scheme in Austria under which part of the costs of a personal injury lawyer are reimbursed.
In other European countries, such as Belgium, there is no regulation regarding the costs of a personal injury lawyer. You must pay the costs yourself. However, sometimes you can agree to work on a no cure no pay basis. With this system, you only pay the attorney’s fees if the case is in your favor. Please note, you will then pay a percentage of your compensation. This means that you will not be reimbursed for all your damages. On the other hand, if you lose a personal injury case, you do not have to pay the lawyer you hired.
No cure no pay is prohibited in many countries, so it is always good to get advice.
A lawyer is therefore not cheap and there is often nothing more than haggling on the hourly rate. However, if you are looking for a personal injury lawyer, this is different, and you can sometimes engage a personal injury lawyer completely free of charge.