How much does a medical malpractice lawyer cost?

The size and structure of medical malpractice lawyers' contingency fees vary, but they are often around 33% of any award. Some states place limits on the size of the contingency fee that a medical malpractice lawyer may charge, including sometimes by using what’s referred to as a “sliding scale.”

For example, in New York state law caps a medical malpractice lawyer's contingency fees at:

• 30% of the first $250,000 recovered
• 25% of the next $250,000 recovered
• 20% of the next $500,000 recovered
• 15% of the next $250,000 recovered
• 10% on any further amount recovered

These sliding scale arrangements can sound complicated, but they are really just a way that different states have sought to balance rewarding lawyers for taking cases with no upfront fees on the one hand with ensuring an appropriate amount of the award goes to you, the claimant, particularly as the size of the award increases.

Separate from the medical malpractice attorney's fees, though, there could be legal costs associated with your case which will also impact your take-home portion of the award. Examples of legal costs include:

• Expert witness fees
• Costs for obtaining medical records, including postage or copying fees
• Filing fees (for filing documents with the court)

Many medical malpractice lawyers do not ask clients to pay for these expenses in advance and will instead recover the costs through the award if your claim is successful, and then take their fees from the remaining balance of the award.

In practice, this means the way an award might work is:

• You hire a medical malpractice lawyer on a contingency fee arrangement where the lawyer’s fee is 30% after deducting costs
• Your claim is successful and you win an award of $100,000 with litigation costs of $10,000
• The medical malpractice lawyer, having covered the costs upfront, would be reimbursed from the award leaving $90,000
• Your take-home portion would be $63,000 after deducting the lawyer’s fee of $27,000 (30% of the $90,000 net award)

Your fee agreement with the medical malpractice lawyer will address who is responsible for paying legal costs, and whether they are to be deducted before or after determining the med mal lawyer’s fees.

An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can be a crucial resource in advancing your case - whether it’s navigating the applicable statute of limitations (time limits) or coordinating the expert testimony necessary to prove your case.

As mentioned, though, medical malpractice cases can be complicated and tough to win. Contingency fee arrangements help alleviate some of the risks for you in bringing your claim.

But the flip side to that is that it may be harder to find a lawyer willing to take your case. Because a medical malpractice lawyer’s fees are contingent upon the success of your claim, and because they often agree to cover the legal costs associated with pursuing your case, many medical malpractice lawyers will carefully evaluate what they think the likelihood of success is for a claim, and how large the payout might be.

So, these factors mean it can be tough to find a medical malpractice lawyer and that it is important to reach out to several lawyers.

What are the chances of winning a malpractice lawsuit?

The chances of winning a medical malpractice lawsuit, unfortunately, are not great but they depend on the strength of the available evidence.

Studies have found that physicians win about 70% of so-called borderline cases, and a surprisingly high 50% of cases involving strong evidence of medical negligence. Studies on the topic have also found that physicians win between 80% and 90% of cases with weak evidence of medical negligence.

So as covered above, medical malpractice cases can be tough to win. But again, everything depends on the facts of your particular cases, and this only underscores how important it can be to have an experienced medical malpractice lawyer on your side.

How much is a typical malpractice lawsuit worth?

While medical malpractice cases can be tough to win, they can also be lucrative. The average payment in a medical malpractice case for the past five years has generally been between $300,000 and $350,000.

This is just the average, however, and the payment in a particular case will depend on the type of medical harm involved, the strength of the available evidence, and what state your claim arises in.

In sum, there are three important things to know about how much a medical malpractice lawyer costs. ‍

First, most medical malpractice lawyers work on a contingency basis, so you only pay if your case is successful.

Second, the size and structure of those contingency fees are often dictated by state laws, so how much a med mal lawyer can charge depends on where you live.

Third, there could be legal costs associated with your case separate from the lawyer’s fees, but medical malpractice lawyers often cover these costs upfront and seek reimbursement out of any award.

The end result of all this is that contingency fees can be a great arrangement to help you pursue a claim with less financial risk, but it may also be tougher to find a lawyer willing to take your case than in some other areas of law. This makes it particularly important to reach out to multiple lawyers to find a medical malpractice lawyer who is the right fit for you.