What is a Contingency Fee? - HHJ Trial Attorneys
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What Does Contingency Fee Mean?

When dealing with a personal injury case, there can be additional stress when it comes to locating the means to pay your attorney. You may be dealing with hospital bills, missing work, and other costly consequences as a result of the incident that left you injured. However, money should not be an issue when it comes to seeking the right legal representation. Many personal injury attorneys collect charges for their services in various ways, such as hourly fees, fixed rates, and contingency fees. Any payment agreements must be set in writing, for the protection of both the client and legal attorney. 

Accident victims and other injured persons may still be dealing with the aftermath of a devastating incident, so allocating funds for legal representation may be nearly impossible. Luckily, many San Diego personal injury lawyers charge on the basis of contingency fees for their services. A contingency fee can be a reasonable payment arrangement to ensure you have legal representation for a personal injury claim without having to pay completely out of pocket.  

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We are San Diego’s Award-winning personal injury law firm. In the last three years, our San Diego personal injury lawyers have won tens of millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients. HHJ Trial Attorneys have been featured in the San Diego local news (ABC 10News San Diego) for recovering some of most challenging personal injury cases in southern California.

Award Contingency Fee Mean in San Diego

Our team of experienced San Diego personal injury lawyers at HHJ Trial Attorneys proudly serve victims who have suffered from serious injuries. HHJ is one of San Diego’s premiere personal injury law firms.  We’ve obtained over ten million dollars for our clients within the last 4 years alone and have been voted the Best Litigation Firm for the last 3 years through the San Diego Union Tribune. All three partners have been voted as Super Lawyers and have received coverage from local and national news outlets.

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What is a Contingency Fee?

Contingency fees have become a preferred choice of payment for many attorneys. This form of payment can also benefit victims of accidents and other incidents as well. In a contingency fee agreement, the client agrees to pay the attorney representing them a percentage of the money that the attorney collects on their behalf. 

Contingency fees depend on the outcome of the case, and whether the attorney can successfully recover the money owed for their client’s injuries. A contingency fee can also be helpful for victims of accidents and other injuries, as they do not have to pay for services beforehand out of their own pocket.  

What is a Contingency Fee?

How exactly do contingency fees work in your case? After meeting with a San Diego personal injury attorney and agreeing to this payment arrangement, the attorney will get to work on building your case for the court. There will be no money paid upfront on your part. Instead, the personal injury attorney you work with will obtain all the fees that come with the case, such as court fees and other costs. After successfully winning a case, the personal injury attorney will then collect their contingency fee from your winnings. 

What happens if your personal injury case does not conclude in your favor? If this occurs, the personal injury attorney will not receive payment for their services, and you will not owe them money either. 

What Kind of Cases Do Contingency Fees Cover?

When it comes to the types of cases that contingency fees cover, this can include a variety. Some of the typical cases that work on a basis of contingency fees include: 

How Do Attorneys Set Their Contingency Fees?

There can be many different components that ultimately drive how attorneys set their contingency fees. For example, a contingency fee agreement could contain a clause that states an attorney’s contingency fee will be lower if the case reaches a settlement before going to trial. This means the case will require less of the attorney’s time than if the case went to trial. 

Some of the factors that come into play when personal injury lawyers set their contingency fees include: 

  • The attorney’s education and skill
  • The geographical location of the attorney’s office
  • The attorney’s experience and additional certifications
  • The attorney’s success rate in court
  • The anticipated time-length of the case
  • Contingency fees charged by other attorneys for similar cases

Every case is unique, so there will never be a one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to guessing an attorney’s contingency fees. There may be very complex cases that can take a lot of time, skill, and resources to reach a settlement. It is important to talk to the lawyer taking on your case so you can be well aware of the components that go into the contingency fee for your specific claim.  

Costs and Expenses for a Personal Injury Case

Though every personal injury case is different, there are some expenses that are common in most. These costs and expenses may be covered upfront by an attorney and taken out from a contingency fee, while other lawyers may deduct the costs before the contingency fee. It can be different for each attorney, but you must be aware of the fee structure and how expenses will be deducted from your possible claim amount. This can make a big difference in your net proceeds after all.  

Some of the most common expenses in a personal injury include: 

  • Court filing fees
  • Copies and postage costs
  • Deposition and court reporter fees
  • Investigation costs
  • Expert witness fees 
  • Cost of obtaining copies of accident reports, medical records, and other documents

A personal injury case can wrack up a lot of expenses, which is why working on a contingency fee basis can benefit many clients filing their claims. The most important thing is to sit down with your lawyer and be very aware of the details behind your fee arrangement. You’ll want to make sure to be clear on how these case costs will be covered, as well as check whether a possible loss of the claim would require you to pay for any of the expenses from the case.  

What Else Should I Know About Contingency Fees?

When hiring a San Diego personal injury lawyer for your case, the matter of contingency fees will come up in no time. Here are a few final things to keep in mind about contingency fees: 

  • Always talk to your lawyer about possible case expenses and whether they will be included in the contingency fee or will be charged separately. You do not want to be blindsided by any fees that you were unsure of.  
  • Be very knowledgeable about the contingency fee of the personal injury lawyer you’re working with. And most importantly, be in agreement with this fee. You should be at ease with the settlement for your case, especially if you have your own hospital fees and other costs to cover while in recovery. 
  • In order to feel more confident about the contingency fee agreement for your case, you will want to work with a personal injury lawyer who has years of experience. Make sure to trust your case in the hands of a personal injury attorney who has plenty of expertise in the field, especially in dealing with cases similar to yours. 

Contingency fees are a typical payment arrangement between personal injury lawyers and their clients. It can leave clients to navigate their cases without the stress of paying for legal services, and it can still compensate attorneys for their time and resources. While looking for a personal injury attorney for your case, be sure to sit down for an initial consultation and get an idea of what personal injury lawyer may be right for you. After discussing contingency fees and other facts about your claim, you will be able to work with a trustworthy expert attorney who will be able to represent your case to the best of their abilities! 

Our San Diego Contingency Fee Mean Law Firm Office

Located in the heart of San Diego’s vibrant Little Italy neighborhood, our office at 1917 India Street #200 places HHJ Trial Attorneys in one of the city’s most dynamic and walkable districts. Just steps away from charming cafés, world-class Italian restaurants, and local boutiques, the area buzzes with both historic character and modern energy. Whether you’re grabbing an espresso at a nearby café or enjoying views of the San Diego Bay a few blocks west, this part of the city blends convenience with culture. Our building is easily accessible from the I-5 freeway and just minutes from downtown, the San Diego County Courthouse, and the Embarcadero. With its mix of professional atmosphere and neighborhood charm, our location reflects our commitment to being both approachable and accessible to our clients throughout San Diego.

Locations Served

From our offices across Southern California, HHJ Trial Attorneys represents clients throughout San Diego County and statewide in a wide range of personal injury cases. Whether you were injured in San Diego, Carlsbad, Escondido, Los Angeles, or Temecula, our award-winning trial lawyers provide clear communication, compassionate guidance, and results-driven representation from start to finish.

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*Please note, contact@hhjtrialattorneys.com is not a valid email address for service of documents or ex parte notifications.

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These guys deserve all the praise they get. Mr. Hernandez worked with me for nearly a year on a claim.. READ MORE ▾
These guys deserve all the praise they get. Mr. Hernandez worked with me for nearly a year on a claim and gave me the best guidance and advice every step of the way and produced results far above my expectations for how I thought things were going to play out. The results he and his team produced for me quite literally changed my life. They will be my go-to for the rest of my life in their field and I will point everyone I know who needs any help at all their way. Their service was extremely personal and professional, and very honest. I would rate higher than 5 stars if I could.
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I went with this firm on a whim after some google searching. I ended up having Elliott Jung represent... READ MORE ▾
I went with this firm on a whim after some google searching. I ended up having Elliott Jung represent me, and I'm so darn happy I did. He was truly amazing from start to finish. Empathetic, knowledgeable and determined are just a few words to describe him. He fought for my case like it was his wife's or his daughters, and I mean that I really felt his dedication throughout the entire process. And I won! Eternally grateful for this experience and I will forever refer Elliott to anyone who even utters the word attorney.
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I wanna start by making it known that the number of reviews I have written in my life I could count... READ MORE ▾
I wanna start by making it known that the number of reviews I have written in my life I could count on one hand. That being said, I felt it necessary to Publicly Acknowledge Elliot Jung and the entire team at HHJ trial attorneys for the dedication and time they have put him to take care of my family since our accident. My gratitude is unrivaled. Valentine’s day of this year my wife and I were hit at 9 o’clock at night by a young girl with no headlights on. It was a traumatic experience to say the least and we were Lucky to have hobbled away. Shortly after the accident, I contacted a relative who is an attorney. I explained the situation and without hesitation was sent Elliot Jung‘s contact info. I did some research and read reviews as well as his background in law and was blown away. The first time we met I was overwhelmed with this feeling of comfort. A it was a genuine sense that everything was going to be taken care of. Up until that point, I hadn’t felt any sense of relief in regards to our accident. I’ve always pictured attorneys as disgruntled old men with high blood pressure and anger problems. Haha that may be because I know a few that are exactly that. But Elliot is about as far from that as one could be. He’s young, driven, and has an evident passion for what he does. And he’s damn good at it I am amazed by the attentiveness, wisdom, and overall concern for my family‘s well-being that Elliot and the entire HHJ team has shown my family since day one of this lengthy ordeal. I was just recently informed that we won our case! In short, Elliot is phenomenal as an individual as well as an attorney, HHJ is way more than a money-hungry firm, and i will support them in any way i can.
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