Car accident lawyers charge a contingency fee to take on a car accident claim. A “contingency fee” means that the lawyer will not get paid a fee, unless there is a recovery in your case. You will not have to pay out of pocket for the lawyer to investigate and pursue your accident claim. The lawyer or law firm will get paid a percentage of money received from the car insurance settlement or verdict, if your case goes to trial. Contingency fees will vary, but 33 percent is standard if your case settles before a lawsuit is required. If a lawsuit is filed against the other driver or negligent party, the contingency fee will increase to 40 percent. For example, if your case settles for 100,000 dollars, then the contingency fee would be 33,000 dollars. If your case goes to trial and a verdict of 100,000 dollars was returned by the jury, then the contingency fee would be 40,000 dollars. When searching for representation, you should make sure that you discuss with the lawyer how much you will be charged to represent you for your car accident.