After major injuries occur from a recent car accident, you may wonder whether to sue the other party involved in the accident. If you are not sure if you have this option, you should visit a personal injury lawyer. While you are there, you can discuss the case with him or her, and the lawyer will then decide whether or not to accept it. This decision is largely based on the chances of winning the case because these attorneys are usually paid contingency fees. Here are three things you should know about contingency fees in personal injury cases.

They are a percentage of the settlement

Contingency fees are based on a percentage of the total settlement amount, and these fees are generally around 33.33%. They can vary, though, and can be as high as 40%. In most cases, you may be able to negotiate on this rate with the lawyer you choose. If you are interested in finding out the rate a lawyer charges, just ask. You can also ask if the percentage is negotiable.

Contingency fees are the only money the lawyers earn

You should realize that most personal injury lawyers do not charge upfront fees when they accept cases. In other words, you will not have to pay the lawyer any money when you hire him or her.  The contingency fee you pay at the end of the case is designed to cover all the work the lawyer must do for your case, and it will include all the phone calls and visits you have with the lawyer.

You should also understand that the lawyer may charge you additional fees for certain expenses related to the case, and these are on top of the contingency fee you will pay. These additional fees are typically for legal research costs, court filing fees, and expenses for hiring expert witnesses.

Lawyers are selective with accepting cases

Some of these lawyers do not charge upfront fees, so they are relying on winning the cases they accept so that they can receive the bulk of their pay. This one factor makes most personal injury attorneys very selective with the cases they accept. They will typically only want to accept cases that have a good chance of winning.

If you suffered harm from an accident of any kind and have not yet talked to a lawyer, contact a professional, such as Charlie Tucker P.A., today.