Personal Injury | April 1, 2025 by JOSHUA D. ANDERSON

How Much Are Car Accident Lawyer Fees?

A car accident is often frightening, even if you don’t suffer any injuries. It can also be frustrating. Between the other driver and their insurance adjusters, you may feel like you aren’t being treated fairly or are getting the runaround. To ensure you’re compensated for the auto accident, you may consider hiring legal representation but worry about the cost. Would hiring a lawyer cost more than what you get through a settlement or court award?

How Do Car Accident Lawyers Get Paid?

Most Washington State lawyers who handle car accident cases work on a contingency fee basis. It’s sometimes called “no fee unless you win,” meaning they won’t get paid unless they recover compensation through a negotiated settlement or winning at trial.

When a personal injury lawyer agrees to represent you on a contingency fee basis, you don’t pay any upfront costs and generally don’t pay for their services until your case is decided. If the lawyer loses the case, they get nothing, and you don’t owe them payment for the work they’ve done. But, if they win, they keep a part of the total recovery amount you’re awarded or settle for. A common contingency fee is one-third (33%). In many cases, the fee increases if a lawsuit is filed or you receive an arbitration or jury award. This increased fee reflects the additional time and work your attorney and their staff put into your case.

As an example, if the contingency fee basis for your case is 33% and the total amount your personal injury attorney recovers for your car accident case is $500,000, the lawyer would get $166,666.67, and you would keep the remaining $333,333.33, minus any other liens, costs, or outstanding medical expenses.

However, while a contingency fee agreement means you don’t pay unless you win, you may be responsible for costs such as:

• Court filing fees
• Investigation expenses
• Expert witness fees
• Fess for obtaining medical records

These costs are usually deducted from your final settlement, but confirm the specifics with your lawyer.

To be clear, car accident attorneys or personal injury lawyers can use a different fee structure for your case. They may charge you a flat fee, hourly rate, or even use a retainer for your case. This is rare and generally used for a limited service (like reviewing your settlement agreement). It’s far more common for car accident attorneys to charge clients a contingency fee because:

• You may not be able to afford upfront legal fees, and using a contingency fee agreement makes legal representation more accessible.
• You may prefer risk-free representation, only paying your lawyer if they win.
• Your lawyer is less likely to focus on billing hours and more likely to fight for fair compensation. 

What Do Car Accident Lawyers Charge for a Consultation?

Before hiring an attorney, you should meet with them to decide if they’re someone you trust and can work with. Fortunately, most car accident lawyers and personal injury lawyers offer free consultations.

The consultation is the perfect time to review the details of your case, get an estimate of what a lawyer might charge for your car accident case, and see if this attorney feels your case is worth pursuing.

What Affects a Car Accident Lawyer’s Fees?

While car accident attorney fees vary, additional factors can impact the overall cost of your case.

How Complex Your Case Is

From the cause of the accident to who is to blame, every car accident case is unique. More complex accidents require additional time and resources. While a lawyer’s contingency fee generally remains the same, more complex cases may lead to higher overall costs, like paying for expert witness fees or court filings.

Your Injuries

It’s important to get proper medical treatment for your auto accident injury and any necessary follow-up care. Car accident victims with more severe injuries require more treatment and often incur higher medical bills than those with less severe injuries, and you should be fairly compensated for these expenses.

While your attorney’s contingency fees usually won’t change based on the severity of your injury, gathering extensive medical records or negotiating with multiple insurance companies may result in additional case-related expenses.

Experience and Type of Firm

Experience can influence how a personal injury attorney handles a car accident case. But instead of focusing on how many years an attorney has practiced, consider the attorney’s track record with cases similar to yours.

Similarly, smaller firms may not have as many resources as a larger firm and may charge accordingly. However, smaller firms often provide more personalized attention, ensuring your case isn’t just one of many in a pile of files.

Time

While some car accident claims or personal injury lawsuits settle quickly, that’s not always the case. You may be required to go to arbitration or mediation and then a trial before you recover compensation, which can impact what your car accident attorney charges.

Let Us Help You

Anderson Law Injury Lawyers has extensive experience in car accident cases and personal injury claims. For over 18 years, we’ve been helping car accident victims in the Bonney Lake area obtain compensation for their car accident injuries. Our law firm has over 50 years of combined experience and expertise in insurance law to guide you through the legal process.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation and see how we can help you.

The information contained on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Nothing in this website establishes an attorney-client relationship between us. Different facts can dramatically affect a legal opinion. You should consult an attorney for legal advice that pertains to your personal situation.