What Does a Contingency Fee Mean in a Personal Injury Case?
When you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, the last thing you should worry about is how to pay for a lawyer. That’s why our firm uses the contingency fee system — a payment arrangement that makes it possible for everyday people to hire a skilled trial lawyer without paying anything up front.
Simply put: if we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing for our time or expenses. You may hear this described as:
- No Fee Unless We Win
- No Fee If No Recovery
- We Only Get Paid If You Do
For over four decades, every single case handled by the Willis Law Firm has been on a contingency fee basis. We have never sent a client a bill for our legal time or the expenses we advance unless we win their case.
About Texas Trial Lawyer - David P. Willis
Trial lawyer David P. Willis has been representing the seriously injured for over 40 years. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1988 and is a former attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas. Over his career, Mr. Willis has fought for and obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for clients. His experience covers major truck accidents, rollover accidents, industrial accidents, and other catastrophic injury and serious personal injury cases across Texas and nationwide.
How a Contingency Fee Works
Under a contingency fee arrangement, our payment is “contingent” upon us winning your case. This means:
- No upfront payment — you do not pay us to start working.
- We advance all case expenses — including accident reconstruction experts, court filing fees, medical records, depositions, and trial exhibits.
- Our fee comes from the recovery — a percentage of the settlement or verdict.
- If we do not recover you compensation, then you owe nothing for attorney’s fees or the costs we advanced.
This is the opposite of how defense lawyers are paid. The law firms that represent corporations, trucking companies, and insurance carriers bill by the hour, often in six-minute increments, and send invoices every month. They get paid win or lose — by the very companies responsible for harming you.
Why Contingency Fees Matter for Injury Victims
Most of our clients could not afford to hire a lawyer if they had to pay hourly fees like the corporations do. With a contingency fee, you get access to the same level of legal firepower without writing a single check up front.
This system also aligns our interests — if we don’t win against you, we don’t get paid. It ensures that our focus is entirely on maximizing your recovery.
What We Cover at No Cost to You Unless We Win
When we take your case, we take on all the financial risks of pursuing justice. That includes:
- Hiring expert witnesses
- Accident reconstruction
- Obtaining and analyzing medical records
- Deposing witnesses and defendants
- Travel to accident scenes and hearings
- Filing and service fees
- Trial presentation technology
We never cut corners on case preparation because we know thorough work leads to larger verdicts and settlements.
Our Track Record on Contingency Fee Cases
For over 40 years, every single client we’ve represented has had a contingency fee agreement. This approach has allowed us to secure:
- Multi-million-dollar verdicts in catastrophic accident cases
- Significant settlements for truck accident crash victims
- Major recoveries in industrial accidents, product defect, and workplace injury claims
- Life-changing awards for burn victims, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death families
When you hire us, you’re hiring a team that’s proven in the toughest courtrooms and against biggest defense lawyers in Texas and beyond.
Key Benefits of a Contingency Fee Agreement
- Risk-free hiring — no upfront legal bills
- Motivation to win — our success is tied to yours
- Level playing field — take on the biggest corporations without worrying about costs
- Full legal team support — you get the benefit of our investigators, experts, and trial preparation without paying as we go
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Contingency Fees
Hourly billing requires clients to pay for every hour an attorney works, often hundreds of dollars per hour, regardless of the outcome. A contingency fee means the lawyer only gets paid if you win. This shifts the financial risk away from the client and onto the law firm.
The exact percentage depends on the type of case, its complexity, and whether it goes to trial. At the Willis Law Firm, we explain all percentages and terms in writing before you sign anything, so there are no surprises.
We advance all case-related expenses—such as court filing fees, expert witness costs, and accident investigation expenses—so you don’t pay out of pocket during the case. If we win, these costs are reimbursed from the settlement or verdict. If we lose, you owe nothing for these expenses.
No. We never send clients a bill for attorney time while a case is in progress. All our time, legal work, and costs are covered by the contingency fee arrangement.
Yes. For more than 40 years, 100% of our personal injury cases have been handled on a contingency fee basis. We have never sent a client a bill for our legal time unless we won their case.
Yes. In states where we are not licensed, we work with trusted local attorneys under formal association agreements. Your fee arrangement stays the same—no fee unless we win.
Most do. We handle truck accidents, rollover accidents, industrial injuries, maritime injuries, and other serious injury cases entirely on contingency. There are rare exceptions in non-injury matters, but not in our core practice.
If your case goes to trial, the contingency percentage may adjust slightly due to the additional work, risk, and costs involved. We discuss this with you upfront so you understand every possible scenario.
If we don’t win, you pay nothing for attorney fees and nothing for the case expenses we advanced. That’s the heart of the no-win, no-fee promise.
Some lawyers prefer guaranteed income through hourly billing. Contingency fee work requires the firm to take on significant financial risk, which not all firms are willing to do.
At the Willis Law Firm, we’ve built a 40-year record of high verdicts and settlements because we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial. We do not pressure clients into early, low-value settlements just to get paid.
Many injured people cannot afford hourly legal fees. Contingency arrangements allow them to hire a top-rated, Board-Certified trial lawyer without paying anything upfront, ensuring powerful representation is available regardless of financial situation.
Next Steps if You Need a Contingency Fee Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a truck accident, maritime / offshore, industrial accident, rollover crash, or other major injury, call us today.
You can speak directly with an attorney, get a free case review, and learn your options.