How Contingency Fees Work in a Georgia Car Accident Case

How much do car accident lawyers in Georgia typically charge, and how do contingency fees work?

Many Georgia car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. That means the fee is a percentage of what is recovered, and the exact percentage is set in a written agreement you sign before work begins.

Fee terms vary from one agreement to another. Read yours closely and ask about every line before you sign.

If you were hurt, you may still be seeing doctors, answering calls from an insurance adjuster, and trying to keep up with bills. Money may feel like one more problem on a long list. This page explains the fee in plain words, what it covers, and what else may be owed.

Crashes affect many families across Georgia. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 1,403 motor-vehicle crash deaths in Georgia in 2024, a rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people.

What is a contingency fee?

A contingency fee is a payment that depends on the result of your claim. Usually, the lawyer takes a percentage of the money recovered, whether by settlement with an insurer or by a court judgment. The percentage applies only to money recovered.

This is different from hourly billing. An hourly lawyer bills for time spent, whether or not money is recovered. A contingency arrangement ties the lawyer’s pay to the outcome of the claim, so the written terms matter a great deal.

Two agreements can use the same percentage and still leave a client with very different amounts. The difference often lies in the details. Those details include when expenses come out, how medical bills are paid, and which stage of the case the percentage applies to. The written agreement controls these points.

What the fee usually covers

In a car accident attorney contingency fee arrangement in Georgia, the percentage usually pays for the lawyer’s work on the claim. That work can include investigating the crash, gathering records, negotiating with insurers, and filing a lawsuit if one is needed.

Many agreements set different percentages at different stages. A fee before a lawsuit is filed may differ from a fee after one is filed. Ask which stage applies to your case and what would cause the percentage to change.

Ask, too, whether the fee is figured before or after case expenses are subtracted. If the fee is figured on the gross amount, expenses come out of what remains. If expenses come out first, the percentage applies to a smaller number. Your agreement should say which method applies.

Medical bills need attention as well. Georgia law limits medical damages to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, treatment, or services. See O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1. Your agreement should explain how providers and liens are paid from any settlement.

Case expenses and court costs you may still owe

Even with a contingency arrangement, you may still be responsible for court costs and case expenses, depending on your written agreement and how the case ends.

Expenses are separate from the lawyer’s percentage. They can include court filing fees, charges for medical records and crash reports, fees for accident reconstruction professionals who study how a crash happened, and deposition costs. Deposition costs cover sworn testimony taken outside of court, plus the written transcript. Not every case needs every item.

Before signing, ask two direct questions. Are expenses owed if nothing is recovered? And how are they repaid from any recovery? The answers should appear in writing. If they don’t, ask that they be added before you sign.

The stage a case reaches also affects which costs come up. A claim that resolves early can involve different charges than one that moves into a lawsuit.

What a written fee agreement should spell out

A written fee agreement should spell out the percentage at each stage, how expenses are handled, the order of deductions, how liens and medical bills are paid, and who answers billing questions.

Use this short checklist when you read yours:

• The percentage that applies at each stage of the claim
• Whether the fee is figured before or after expenses
• Which expenses you pay, and whether they are owed if nothing is recovered
• How medical bills, liens, and letters of protection are paid
• Who to call with billing questions

Ask for a copy to keep before you make any decision. Reading it at home, without a phone call in progress, gives you time to notice terms you didn’t expect.

How fee questions come up in different types of crashes

The contingency structure can apply to car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, and rideshare claims. Each agreement sets its own terms, so the crash type alone doesn’t answer the fee question.

Commercial trucks and motorcycles can raise their own questions. If your crash involved either one, read the truck accident guide or the motorcycle claims guide. If you live in or near Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett County venue guide explains how the location of a lawsuit can shape the case.

Evidence matters early. Photos, witness names, and records gathered soon after a crash can affect how much work a claim needs. The evidence guide covers what to keep.

Fault also plays a role. Under Georgia law, a plaintiff’s share of fault reduces the damages, and a plaintiff who is 50 percent or more responsible for the damages claimed is not entitled to receive any damages (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33; Quynn v. Hulsey, 310 Ga. 473 (2020)). See O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33. Timing matters too. Georgia generally requires a personal-injury lawsuit to be filed within two years after the right of action accrues, except for actions for injuries to the person involving loss of consortium, which shall be brought within four years after the right of action accrues, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 (Cameron v. JMP Pizza, Inc. (2026)), as quoted in a Georgia Court of Appeals opinion.

Questions to ask before you sign a fee agreement

Ask these questions before you sign:

1. What percentage applies at each stage of my claim?
2. Is the fee figured before or after case expenses are subtracted?
3. Which expenses am I responsible for, and are they owed if nothing is recovered?
4. How are medical bills and liens paid from any recovery?
5. Who is my contact for billing questions?

Take the agreement home and read it slowly. Ask for an explanation of any term you don’t understand. A lawyer can explain how the terms work, but no lawyer can promise a particular outcome or amount.

Frequently asked questions

Free first consultation: talk through your fee questions

If you were hurt in a crash and are still weighing medical bills, insurance calls, and what a lawyer would cost, you don’t have to sort out the fee alone. Our team offers a free, confidential first consultation with no obligation to continue. You can bring your fee questions and ask how the terms would work in your own situation. To reach our team, use the contact page.

Attorney advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Slam Dunk Attorney is based in Duluth, Georgia. Peter F. Jaraysi is the responsible lawyer for this page. Contact the firm through the contact page. Results vary from case to case, and no outcome or amount can be promised.