A contingency fee is how personal injury attorneys get paid for the work they do for accident victims. Instead of billing the client by the hour, a personal injury attorney will enter into an agreement with the client that they will be paid a percentage of the final settlement or award the client receives. This means that the client is only responsible for the attorney’s fees and any other case-related costs unless the attorney is successful in obtaining financial compensation, either through a settlement with the insurance company or through an award determined by the court in litigation.