Personal Injury FAQs

We, like most personal injury firms, charge one third of the total settlement amount. While many personal injury firms look to increase their fee percentage – typically to 40% or 50% – if a case goes to litigation, mediation, or arbitration, our fee will remain the same. At LeBaron & Jensen, we understand the financial constraints personal injury claimants face and that’s why:

• We operate on a contingency fee basis, so we don’t get paid unless you do
• We offer a FREE, no-obligation case evaluation for all personal injury cases

Many personal injury claimants assume they can obtain a fair settlement on their own. Meanwhile, insurance companies have substantial legal teams dedicated to protecting their interests in court and providing the least financial compensation possible to claimants. Insurance industry studies show that claimants with legal representation will get 3.5 times more than those who do not, which means we pay for ourselves. This allows you to focus on recovery, rather than worrying about navigating the insurance maze on your own. The attorneys at LeBaron and Jensen will put your interests first to maximize your settlement and can often do so entirely outside of court. On top of that, we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t get paid unless you do, so there’s no reason to risk going it alone.

The personal injury attorneys at LeBaron & Jensen are here to help you obtain the compensation and justice you deserve. A personal injury attorney will evaluate your potential claim, gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, file a complaint and fight in court on your behalf to ensure you receive a fair settlement.

The first question to cross most claimants’ minds as they consider hiring a personal injury attorney is often how long it will be before they can put their accident behind them. Unfortunately, there’s no single, accurate answer that can apply to all cases. Our experience has shown that personal injury cases can typically be settled outside of court within three to eight months after medical treatment has been completed when other factors don’t interfere. These factors typically include:

• Medical Care – The severity of your injuries will be a key determining factor in the value of your claim and, consequently, the amount of time negotiations may take. Insurance providers will typically wait to settle a claim until treatment in complete.
• Insurance Providers – Every insurance company is different and will never treat any one case exactly the same as another. Which insurance providers are involved with any given case will affect how quickly cases can be negotiated, settled, and closed.
• Civil Suits – Some cases may require the involvement of the courts if a fair settlement cannot be reached otherwise. If your case must be litigated, reaching a settlement could take as long as four years.
• External Involvement – It may be necessary for your legal team to contact and interview witnesses and/or hire consultants, such as accident re-constructionists, to obtain the evidence for a fair settlement.

A claimant may receive a settlement offer from an insurance provider without the involvement of an attorney, but these offers are best thought of as “baselines,” that an experienced personal injury attorney can build off of. If you receive a settlement offer from an insurance provider, the best course of action is to contact our office to schedule a FREE, no-obligation case evaluation. Our legal team will review your case and determine any excess entitlements you may have beyond this initial offer.

An adjuster’s job is to move your claim through their company’s workflow as quickly as possible, if they can do so inexpensively. If a case cannot by settled inexpensively, an adjuster will typically drag your case out in accordance with the three Ds of insurance: Delay, Deny, Defend. If you receive a call from an insurance adjuster, avoid giving any detailed statements about your condition and do not admit any fault in your accident, as they may use these statements to discount or deny your claim. Should you hear from insurance adjusters regarding your claim, the best course of action is to retain an experienced personal injury attorney to correspond and negotiate with these insurance representatives on your behalf to ensure that you receive every dollar you deserve in your settlement.

We understand the stress it can cause a claimant to litigate a case for fair compensation. Thankfully, only 1% of personal injury cases are ever taken to court. Our team seeks to minimize your stress to the greatest extent possible, while also ensuring that you are prepared for any eventuality. As such, the personal injury attorneys at LeBaron & Jensen process every case as if it will go to trial, though we are able to settle most cases outside of court with aggressive negotiation.