Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency fees, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover compensation for your case. Standard contingency fees range from 33% for pre-litigation settlements to 40% if filing lawsuits becomes necessary. Case expenses like filing fees, expert witnesses, and medical record costs are typically advanced by law firms and reimbursed from settlements. Written fee agreements should clearly explain percentage calculations and whether expenses deduct before or after attorney fees. Some firms offer sliding scale fees for larger recoveries, reducing percentages on amounts exceeding certain thresholds. Free consultations let you understand fee structures before committing to representation. Quality representation often generates substantially higher settlements that more than offset attorney fees compared to handling claims alone.