For a personal injury case almost all attorney fees are a contingency fee, which
means the attorney is paid a percentage of what is collected at the end of the
case.  This is so that the injured victim, who is usually off work, doesn’t have to pay a flat fee or an hourly fee right up front out of pocket.  Most attorneys charge one third or 33 1/3 percent of the amount that is collected for the injured person at the end of the case.

There are some attorneys that may charge a little bit less.  There are other attorneys that will charge 40 percent for a more complicated case. Medical malpractice cases are usually charged 40 percent because the cost in reference to that case, to get it ready for trial is much, much greater.  There are other triggers, such as going to trial and appeals, where some attorneys will raise the fee.  It might start out at 25 percent but if you have to go to trial, file a suit it then goes to a third.  If you have to go to trial it goes to 40 percent.  It is important to take a good
look at your contract and see what is in it before you sign the contract with the attorney.  Every attorney’s contract is a little bit different.  If you want
to see an example of one you can go to my website, www.mikeschaferlaw.com and search contingency fee contract in the search box and it will pop up the contract that I use.

As a Kentucky accident attorney clients frequently ask me “how do you get paid?” How much money do I need to have to hire a personal injury attorney? Do I have to give you money up front to take my case?  The answer is NO. 

Almost all auto accident attorneys or personal injury attorneys take cases on what is called a contingency fee basis.  A contingency fee means is you do not pay anything up front and you do not pay your attorney on an hourly basis. A personal injury attorney is paid a percentage of what they recover or settle your accident case for at the end of the case.  In most cases the contingency fee is 33and1/3% or 1/3 of the recovery. Sometimes the fee may be 40%. Generally, if there is no recovery, you do not owe the attorney a fee.  This is good for you, the accident victim.

You do not have to pay anything up front at the time you hire an attorney. While you are treating with doctors and while you are off work you don’t have the extra money to hire an attorney.  The attorney will get paid at the end of the case.  A personal injury attorney will charge you nothing unless he wins your Kentucky accident case. The bottom line is you don’t have to worry about coming up with any money to hire an attorney in an auto accident case.  A contingency fee is almost always offered. That is the way the accident attorney will be paid and you will be able to get good representation.