How are fees and expenses determined in a personal injury case?
At Steven R. Harris & Associates, we work on a no-win, no-fee arrangement. That means that you pay no attorney fees or court costs up-front. In fact, you only pay attorney fees if your case is successful. Typically, attorney fees are set at 33 1/3% of your net recovery. If there is no recovery, there are no attorney fees; you are only responsible for expenses. This arrangement makes it possible for people of limited financial resources to go up against even the most powerful corporations.

How do I know if my case has merit?
If you are not an attorney who specializes in personal injury law, you can't know for sure. So if you have been injured and believe someone may be at fault, you should call an attorney and explain the facts of the case right away. Timing is crucial. Statutes of limitations on personal injury cases can range from as little as 90 days to 3 years, after which point you cannot file a suit, no matter how serious your injury. Since it costs nothing to find out if your case has merit, it is definitely worth a phone call to Steven R. Harris & Associates. It's better to find out now than to wait until it's too late to pursue an action.

How much of my time will be required if I decide to pursue a case?
While we welcome the involvement and input of all of our clients in shaping a strong case, we also believe that you should be subject to as little red tape and stress as possible. In a typical case, you will be asked to participate in an initial interview lasting approximately one hour. Several months later, after the suit has commenced, you may be required to give testimony at a formal deposition, lasting several hours. You may also have to undergo a physical examination by the defendant's doctor. That's a total of 1-2 days active involvement in a case that will typically take between 1-3 years to resolve. Whenever possible, we try to work around your schedule for your convenience. If necessary, we will conduct interviews on the weekends or at night, and will even come to your home or to the hospital if you cannot come to our offices.

What are the chances my case will end in a settlement vs. a trial by jury?
At Steven R. Harris & Associates, we prepare to go to trial with every case we handle - and to litigate every case in the most aggressive manner possible. While a negotiated settlement is often preferable, we know that in order to negotiate such a settlement from a position of strength, we must first build a solid case that has every chance of victory. A majority of our cases do end in negotiated settlements, providing compensation for our injured clients, but this occurs only after we have built powerful cases, in anticipation of proceeding to trial. If a case cannot be settled in an amount that is satisfactory to our client, we do not hesitate to proceed to a trial by jury.

How long does the average case take?
That depends very much on who represents you. At many larger law firms, your case may not even begin until years after your injury occurs. If we accept your case, we promise to commence suit immediately and to do everything necessary to complete your case as quickly as possible. Our record shows that we keep our promises.