At Springs Law Group, we represent Colorado Springs car accident victims and offer free consultations to discuss their legal options.
We handle qualifying personal injury cases under a contingency fee arrangement, meaning our clients do not pay upfront legal fees and our attorney fee depends on securing compensation.
Our law firm advances many upfront costs involved in investigating and preparing accepted cases, while the written fee agreement determines which expenses may be reimbursed.
Before hiring our lawyers, you should understand the fee percentage, potential case expenses, and how valid medical liens or reimbursement claims could affect the amount you receive.
Medical bills, vehicle repairs, and lost income can create financial pressure long before a car accident claim is resolved.
For many accident victims, hiring a lawyer does not require an hourly retainer or an upfront payment for legal services.
Lawyers who work on a contingency receive an agreed percentage of compensation recovered through a settlement or court award.
Expenses related to the case, court fees, outstanding medical bills, and valid reimbursement claims can also reduce the funds available to an injured client.
The attorney’s percentage is important, but the amount remaining after fees, authorized expenses, and valid medical obligations are paid is equally important.
Our Colorado Springs car accident lawyers review potential claims and explain the proposed attorney fee, possible expenses, and legal work involved before representation begins.
If you were injured in a crash, contact Springs Law Group or use the chat feature on this page to request a free consultation.
A contingency fee pays the lawyer an agreed percentage of money recovered through a settlement or court award.
This structure differs from hourly billing, where legal fees accrue as an attorney spends time working on a matter, regardless of whether the client recovers compensation.
Most car accident lawyers handling injury claims work on a contingency basis, allowing clients to proceed without ongoing hourly charges while receiving medical treatment.
When a car accident settlement is paid, the attorney fee, authorized case expenses, and applicable third-party payments are accounted for before the remaining funds are distributed to the client.
If no compensation is recovered, the contingency attorney fee ordinarily is not earned, but any separate obligations for case expenses or court-awarded costs must be considered under the agreement and applicable law.
Car accident lawyer fees are not fixed at one percentage under Colorado law.
A one-third contingency fee is common, although percentages of roughly 25% to 40% may apply depending on the lawyer, the complexity of the case, and when the claim resolves.
An average contingency fee does not establish the rate for an individual client, and a written agreement may set different percentages for an early settlement, litigation, trial, or appeal.
At Springs Law Group, the percentage and any changes tied to litigation are established in the signed agreement for the individual case.
Clients should also know whether the percentage applies to the gross recovery or to an amount calculated after specified costs or other payments have been deducted.
Colorado Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) requires written contingency-fee terms addressing the fee calculation, expense deductions, and the client’s potential financial obligations.
Some contingency agreements set a lower percentage before litigation and a higher percentage if a lawsuit, trial, or appeal becomes necessary.
A higher fee is not automatic in every case, and the applicable percentages must be established in the agreement.
As a claim enters the formal legal process, discovery, depositions, expert analysis, and court proceedings may create additional expenses even when the attorney-fee percentage stays the same.
A car accident claim may settle before or after litigation begins, and filing a lawsuit does not mean that the case necessarily goes to trial.
Attorney fees compensate lawyers for professional legal services, while case expenses are amounts spent investigating, documenting, preparing, or litigating a claim.
In personal injury law, a contingency fee may be charged alongside separate, authorized costs for records, expert analysis, court filings, and other work needed to pursue the claim.
Depending on the work needed, case expenses may include:
A straightforward claim may involve relatively few case expenses, while litigation with depositions, accident reconstruction experts, or a trial can cost considerably more.
Many personal injury attorneys work on cases that settle without trial, so expense estimates should be based on the work likely to be needed rather than assuming that every claim will require extensive litigation.
Our law firm advances many investigation and case-building expenses for accepted personal injury matters, and the written contingency fee agreement explains which expenses may be reimbursed from a recovery.
Before signing, ask whether we seek approval before incurring substantial expenses, which costs may be reimbursed, and whether any expenses remain payable if there is no recovery.
Vehicle repairs, rental cars, lost wages, and accident-related medical bills may be personal obligations or compensable losses, not attorney case expenses merely because they arose after the crash.
A $60,000 settlement does not necessarily mean the injured client receives $60,000.
Attorney fees, reimbursable expenses, valid medical liens, and insurance reimbursement obligations may all be paid from the settlement before the client receives the remainder.
For a hypothetical $60,000 settlement, a one-third attorney fee, reimbursable case expenses, and valid medical liens would leave the following amounts:
Our contingency percentage and reimbursement terms are established in the signed agreement, and no settlement amount is guaranteed.
Negotiated lien reductions, disputed medical charges, and the agreement’s fee-calculation method can change the client’s net recovery.
Calculating the fee after reimbursable expenses rather than on the gross settlement can leave more money for the client, depending on the agreement.
The written agreement determines whether the attorney’s percentage is calculated before or after authorized case expenses and other specified deductions.
A one-third fee based on the gross settlement will be higher than a one-third fee calculated after reimbursable case expenses have been subtracted.
The agreement should identify the fee-calculation method clearly so the client understands how expenses and other deductions affect the final recovery before signing.
Colorado Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5 also requires a written disbursement statement at the conclusion of a contingency-fee matter, including the recovery, case expenses, third-party payments, and fee calculation.
A contingency fee does not mean the lawyer pays the client’s medical treatment bills or that the at-fault driver’s insurance company must pay each bill as treatment occurs.
After a crash, medical providers may bill the patient, health insurer, or another available source of coverage while a liability claim remains unresolved.
Depending on the person’s coverage and circumstances, medical expenses may be addressed through health insurance, medical payments coverage, payment arrangements, or treatment provided under an enforceable lien.
Colorado generally requires qualifying automobile liability policies to include at least $5,000 in medical payments coverage unless the named insured validly rejects it, under C.R.S. § 10-4-635.
MedPay may help cover qualifying accident-related medical treatment without waiting for a final liability settlement, subject to the policy and the statute.
Health insurance may also pay covered medical expenses, although a particular insurer, public benefit program, or medical provider may have reimbursement rights depending on the applicable rules and agreements.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can present separate first-party benefit questions when the responsible driver lacks sufficient liability insurance.
Coverage limits, deductibles, outstanding treatment bills, and reimbursement rights can leave the injured person responsible for costs that an insurance policy does not pay.
A medical lien or reimbursement claim may require payment to a provider, insurer, or other claimant from the settlement proceeds when the obligation is legally valid and enforceable.
Valid medical liens and reimbursement claims can further reduce the client’s net recovery after attorney fees and case expenses.
A proposed settlement should be evaluated alongside known medical obligations, because accepting payment and signing a release may restrict further claims arising from the same accident.
Claims involving serious injuries, future medical expenses, lost income, or lasting impairment may require detailed medical and financial information to evaluate whether a proposed settlement provides fair compensation.
Medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other recoverable car accident losses are damages that may be claimed against a responsible party, not fees charged by the attorney.
Under a conventional contingency arrangement, the lawyer does not earn the agreed contingency fee if there is no qualifying recovery, although the client may still have separate obligations described in the agreement.
Our clients do not pay upfront attorney fees for qualifying cases, and our contingency fee depends on securing compensation.
Losing a case may eliminate the contingency fee without necessarily eliminating responsibility for advanced expenses or court-awarded costs.
The fee agreement must identify whether advanced expenses are waived, absorbed by our law firm, or subject to reimbursement when no compensation is recovered.
Colorado’s contingency-fee requirements require disclosure of expenses that may remain payable after an unsuccessful case and the risk of court-awarded costs or attorney fees.
Clients should understand those obligations before signing, particularly when a case may involve substantial litigation costs.
A client may choose to end the attorney-client relationship, but changing lawyers can raise questions about fees for legal work already performed or costs previously advanced.
Colorado’s contingency-fee requirements address the circumstances in which a lawyer may seek compensation after discharge or withdrawal before the event triggering a fee.
Depending on the agreement and applicable law, a former attorney may have a claim for reasonable fees or advanced expenses against a later recovery.
A Colorado contingency-fee agreement must specify the financial terms and obligations of representation, not just the attorney’s percentage.
Before signing, a personal injury attorney should explain the applicable terms, including how case-related expenses are handled:
Colorado requires both the client and lawyer to sign the contingency-fee agreement, with the financial terms set out in writing.
At the end of a contingency-fee case, Rule 1.5(c) requires a written statement itemizing expenses incurred, amounts recovered, payments to third parties, and the attorney fee.
Whether legal representation is worth the cost depends on the disputed issues, the work needed to pursue compensation, and the amount the client may receive after fees and expenses.
A relatively straightforward property-damage dispute may require less work than serious injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries, commercial truck accidents, or catastrophic personal injury claims.
The work involved can increase case expenses even when the agreed contingency percentage remains unchanged.
Wrongful death cases and cases involving permanent disabilities may also require additional investigation, medical analysis, or litigation resources, but the complexity of an injury does not automatically establish a particular fee percentage.
An experienced attorney may evaluate liability, preserve evidence, review medical documentation, identify applicable insurance policies, and handle negotiations with insurance adjusters when the circumstances warrant it.
Legal representation may reduce the risk of missed deadlines, incomplete claim documentation, or an uninformed settlement decision, but the benefit depends on the work performed and the circumstances of the case.
Because a lawyer’s fee depends on recovery, a contingency arrangement creates a shared financial interest in obtaining compensation, although a client and attorney may still evaluate settlement risks differently.
No attorney can guarantee maximum compensation, a particular settlement amount, or a better net recovery after fees.
Choosing the right car accident lawyer involves evaluating experience with similar claims, communication practices, anticipated work, and the fees and expenses deducted from a recovery.
A lower percentage does not automatically provide better value or quality legal representation, just as a higher fee does not establish that a lawyer will obtain a better outcome.
If negotiations do not resolve a claim, filing a car accident lawsuit in Colorado Springs introduces court procedures and possible expert witness work that may increase expenses.
Our lawyers represent people injured in motor vehicle accidents throughout Colorado Springs and El Paso County, including cases involving disputed fault and serious injuries.
We offer free consultations, handle qualifying cases on a contingency fee basis, and advance many investigation and case-building expenses subject to the written agreement.
Before retaining our lawyers, you can ask about the proposed percentage, whether it changes if litigation is filed, how costs are handled, and what financial obligations remain if no compensation is recovered.
Our legal team explains the proposed attorney fee, anticipated case expenses, and potential deductions before an injured client decides whether to retain our law firm.
Contact Springs Law Group for a free consultation, or use the chat feature on this page to discuss your car accident claim and the costs of representation.
Member of the Colorado Bar Association since 2014. Attorney, Christopher M. Nicolaysen focuses primarily on helping those injured in Colorado car accidents, other auto accidents, and Colorado personal injury incidents.
This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and attorneys at Springs Law Group and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced Colorado personal injury lawyer, Christopher Nicolaysen, you can do so here.
Springs Law Group does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact us. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.
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I was uneasy about reaching out to a law firm after being in an accident that left me injured and my vehicle totaled. I don’t care for the idea of suing for what was very clearly an accident. However, after learning more about the overall process of working with a professional team to navigate the murky waters of the insurance world, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the experience wasn’t as gross as I’d originally felt about it.
Springs Law is very friendly and professional. I always felt that they were on my side and cared about my injury and what I was going through. I highly recommend them.
Springs Law Group is an amazing group to work with! I got into a rough accident, and they never ceased to let me know they were there working hard to help me in my hour of need. It was always very easy to reach out to someone if I had any questions, and they were always happy to answer any questions I had.
I never have a problem with getting a response when I need them – which is not the case with most other firms. They really truly care about each client. As a plus, they always have positive attitudes, which matters tremendously when you are in a stressful legal situation.
Big thanks to Mr. Jake Kimbell and his team for their assistance with my case. He helped me through an incredibly challenging part of my life, and most importantly helped navigate through the convoluted legal channels of my case. I cannot thank him and his team enough for their support.
The entire team at Springs Law group has been nothing but amazing. Jake and the rest of the staff were great to work with and extremely professional. They were very attentive and answered any questions and concerns I had. I was always able to contact them and they were very responsive and communicated with me.
Springs Law Group is an amazing group to work with! I got into a rough accident, and they never ceased to let me know they were there working hard to help me in my hour of need. It was always very easy to reach out to someone if I had any questions, and they were always happy to answer any questions I had.
