What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Actually Cost in Michigan?
The short answer: nothing upfront, and nothing unless you win. Michigan personal injury attorneys, including Koussan Law, work on a contingency fee basis. This means the attorney's fee is a percentage of your recovery — if there's no recovery, there's no fee. This structure exists because it aligns the attorney's financial interest with yours and eliminates the barrier of upfront legal costs for injured people.
How Contingency Fees Work
A standard contingency fee in Michigan ranges from 33.33% (one-third) to 40% of the total recovery, depending on the complexity of the case and whether it settles or goes to trial. The fee percentage is agreed upon in writing before representation begins. If your case settles for $300,000 with a one-third fee, the attorney receives $100,000 and you receive $200,000 (minus case costs). If the case goes to trial, the fee percentage typically increases because of the substantially greater work involved.
Case Costs vs. Attorney Fees
Attorney fees are separate from case costs. Case costs include filing fees, medical record requests, expert witness fees, deposition costs, accident reconstruction, and other litigation expenses. Most Michigan personal injury firms advance these costs and deduct them from the settlement or verdict. Koussan Law advances all case costs — you pay nothing out of pocket regardless of how the case progresses.
Why Hiring an Attorney Actually Increases Your Recovery
Studies consistently show that accident victims who hire attorneys recover significantly more than those who handle claims themselves — even after the attorney's fee. Insurance companies offer lower settlements to unrepresented claimants because there's no credible threat of litigation. An attorney's involvement signals that your claim will be pursued aggressively, which shifts the negotiation dynamics entirely.
No upfront cost, no risk. Call Koussan Law at (313) 800-0000 or use our case calculator.
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Think you may have a case? Use our free Case Calculator to estimate your claim value, or call (313) 800-0000 for a free consultation.
