Almost every personal injury lawyer in the U.S. works on contingency, meaning you don't pay attorney fees unless they recover money for you. The model makes injury representation accessible — but the details vary, and the fine print on costs and percentages matters a lot.
Most contingency agreements take 33⅓% of the settlement if it resolves before a lawsuit is filed, and 40% if a lawsuit is filed (sometimes higher if it goes through trial). Some states cap percentages in specific case types.
Filing fees, expert witnesses, deposition costs, and medical record fees are typically advanced by the firm and reimbursed from your share of the settlement. Read whether the fee is calculated before or after costs — it makes a big difference.
If the case is lost or there's no settlement, you owe no attorney fees. Whether you owe out-of-pocket costs depends on the agreement; many firms eat them, but some recover them.
Health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and medical providers often have liens on the settlement. Those get paid from your portion, not the lawyer's. Always ask for a settlement breakdown projection before signing.
Look for: termination terms (what if you switch lawyers?), how percentages change at each phase, what counts as "costs," and whether the firm has any conflicts of interest. A reputable firm will walk you through every line.
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NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.