How contingency fees work in personal injury cases is simple – you pay nothing unless we win your case. Following a car accident, the last thing you need is the added stress of legal fees piling up alongside your medical bills and lost wages. At Good Guys Injury Law, our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means we only get paid if you get paid.
Our law firm absorbs the financial risk, allowing you to pursue justice without any upfront expenses. This guide shows how contingency fee agreements protect Utah injury victims and make legal help available to everyone.
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What Is a Contingency Fee Arrangement?
A contingency fee arrangement lets you hire a lawyer without paying anything upfront. Instead of hourly fees, your personal injury attorney gets a percentage of your settlement or court award. If you don’t win, you don’t pay attorney fees – it’s that simple.
This system gives many injury victims access to legal services they couldn’t otherwise afford. Let’s see how different payment structures work:
| Fee Type | When You Pay | Risk to Client | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contingency Fee | Only if you win | None | Personal injury cases |
| Hourly Rate | As work happens | High | Business disputes |
| Flat Fee | Before case starts | Medium | Simple legal matters |
The contingency basis creates a path to justice that’s open to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay tens of thousands in legal fees after getting hurt.
The “No Win, No Fee” Promise Explained
The “no win, no fee” promise means exactly what it says – you pay zero dollars if we don’t recover money for you. This isn’t just marketing – it’s a binding part of our contingency fee agreement that protects you fully.
If your personal injury claims don’t result in a settlement or court award, you won’t get a bill for our time or lawyer’s services. This creates a risk-free way to seek justice. Our law firm takes on all the financial risk so you can focus on getting better.
How This Benefits Accident Victims Financially
Working with a contingency fee lawyer offers three big financial benefits. First, you start your case without paying anything out of pocket. Most accident victims face medical bills and lost wages – adding legal fees would be too much.
Second, since we only get paid if you win, we’re very careful about which cases we take. If a personal injury attorney agrees to work on a contingency fee basis, they truly believe in your case. Unlike hourly lawyers who get paid no matter what, we invest our own time and money to build your case.
Typical Cases That Use Contingency Fees
Contingency fee agreements work best for personal injury cases like car accidents, slip-and-falls, workplace injuries, and medical malpractice claims. This payment arrangement exists where there’s an insurance company involved and clear injuries that deserve compensation.
This fee structure doesn’t work for criminal defense or divorce cases. Those areas usually need hourly fees because they don’t involve winning money that can be shared with the attorney.
The Contingency Fee Agreement Process
Starting a relationship with a personal injury lawyer using a contingency fee arrangement is easy. The process protects both you and your attorney while making sure everyone clearly understands how fees and costs will work during your case.
Most personal injury lawyers begin with a free consultation to review your case. If they think they can help, you’ll sign a fee agreement that spells out all terms. This document becomes the foundation of your working relationship and sets clear expectations about payment and responsibilities.
The agreement should clearly state the contingency fee percentage, how case expenses will be handled, and what happens if you win or lose. Our contingency fee lawyer will explain every part in simple terms, so you know exactly what you’re signing. We want you to feel completely comfortable with the arrangement before we start working on your behalf.
Costs vs. Fees: Understanding the Difference
Many clients don’t know that “costs” and “fees” mean different things in personal injury cases. Legal costs are the actual expenses of building your case, w feehile legal fees are what you pay for your lawyer’s expertise and time.
When working with a personal injury attorney on a contingency basis, it’s important to know exactly what you’ll owe if your case succeeds or fails. Some law firms handle costs differently than others, so ask specific questions during your free consultation to avoid surprises.
This difference matters because expenses like court filing fees and witness fees will happen regardless of who wins. Understanding how these costs are handled is just as important as knowing the contingency fee percentage.
Attorney Fees (Contingency Percentage)
The contingency fee percentage is what your personal injury lawyer earns for their services, usually ranging from 33% to 40% of your settlement. In Utah, most attorneys charge 33% if your case settles before filing a lawsuit and 40% if your case goes to trial. For example, on a $100,000 settlement, the attorney’s contingency fee would be $33,000.
This percentage covers all the attorney’s time and effort throughout your case. The exact rate should be clearly stated in your fee agreement before any work begins on your behalf.
Case Expenses (Court Costs, Expert Witnesses, etc.)
Beyond attorney fees, personal injury cases involve various out-of-pocket expenses needed to build a strong claim. These include filing fees, costs for police reports ($20-$50), medical records ($100-$500), expert witness fees ($1,500-$10,000+), and other case-related expenses.
These costs grow larger as your case moves forward, especially if it goes to trial. A simple car accident case might have expenses of a few hundred dollars, while complex cases could reach $10,000 or more. Your fee agreement should clearly explain how these expenses are handled.
Who Pays What If Your Case Loses?
At Good Guys Injury Law, we cover all costs if your case doesn’t succeed – you owe nothing for expenses or attorney fees. This removes all financial risk from seeking justice after an injury. We invest in your case because we believe in it, and we’re willing to absorb those expenses if we don’t win.
Some personal injury firms make clients repay case expenses even if they lose. This creates significant financial risk for injury victims. Always read your fee agreement carefully and ask directly about who pays for costs if your case isn’t successful.
The Financial Advantages for Accident Victims
The contingency fee structure offers several financial advantages that make it possible for accident victims to seek justice regardless of their financial situation. This fee arrangement levels the playing field against powerful insurance companies that have unlimited resources to fight claims.
Without contingency fees, many injury victims would simply have to accept whatever the insurance company offers – or nothing at all. Our law firm believes everyone deserves quality legal representation, not just those who can afford hourly fees.
The benefits include no financial risk when pursuing your claim, lawyer motivation to maximize your recovery (since their fee increases with your settlement), better negotiation power against insurance companies, and access to experienced legal help regardless of your current financial circumstances.
How Payments Work When You Win
Understanding the payment process helps you plan when your case succeeds. When your personal injury case ends with a settlement or court award, a specific sequence of events happens with the money. This process follows strict rules and should be completely transparent.
Most personal injury settlements follow this distribution pattern: First, the check comes to the law firm and goes into a special client trust account. Next, any medical bills or liens are paid. Then, case expenses are deducted to reimburse costs advanced by the firm. After that, the attorney’s fees are calculated based on the agreed percentage. Finally, the remaining balance – your money – is paid directly to you.
The Settlement Distribution Process
The settlement distribution process turns your legal victory into actual compensation. For example, on a $100,000 settlement with $10,000 in expenses and a 33% contingency fee, the math works like this: $100,000 settlement minus $10,000 costs minus $33,000 fee equals $57,000 to you. Your attorney should provide a detailed statement showing every deduction.
Fees on Reduced Offers vs. Trial Verdicts
Understanding how fees work with different settlement offers helps you make smart decisions. While going to trial might result in a larger verdict, it also means higher expenses and potentially a higher contingency fee percentage. Sometimes, a quicker settlement offer might result in more money in your pocket despite a lower total amount.
You always decide whether to accept a settlement or go to trial. Your personal injury lawyer provides advice based on their experience, but the final choice remains yours. This ensures you maintain control throughout the legal process.
What Makes a Strong Contingency Fee Case?
Not all personal injury cases have the same strength. Since personal injury lawyers invest their own time and money into contingency fee cases, they carefully evaluate each potential claim before accepting it.
Strong cases typically share certain features: clear fault by another party, serious documented injuries, adequate insurance coverage, and clients who follow medical advice. Understanding these factors helps explain why some cases might be rejected or why an attorney might suggest different fee arrangements.
Contact Good Guys Injury Law for a No-Risk Case Evaluation
You deserve expert legal help without financial worry. Our team at Good Guys Injury Law makes quality legal representation accessible through our contingency fee structure. This means you can seek justice without worrying about how to pay for a lawyer.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers will review your case for free and explain exactly how our fee arrangement works for your specific situation. We’re open about all aspects of our representation agreement so you can make informed decisions.
Contact us today for your free consultation. We offer a completely free case evaluation with an experienced attorney who will clearly explain our contingency fee percentage and answer all your questions. There are no upfront costs or hourly fees to worry about, and you have no obligation to move forward after our meeting. Let us show you how we can help with your case.
