If you've been hurt in an accident, one of the first questions on your mind is probably: Can I even afford a lawyer right now? The short answer is that you can, because you don't pay anything upfront.

We Work on Contingency, Which Means You Don't Pay Until We Win

A contingency fee means our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict, not out of your pocket before then. If we don't recover money for you, you don't owe us an attorney's fee. There's no hourly billing, no retainer, and no invoice showing up while you're still trying to recover from an injury.

Robert John & Associates has worked this way since 1972. It's not a new marketing angle, it's how personal injury law has worked in Indiana and Kentucky for decades, and it exists specifically so that a bad accident doesn't turn into a decision between "get medical care" and "hire a lawyer."

How Much Does the Fee Actually Cost?

Contingency fees in personal injury cases are typically a percentage of what you recover, and the exact percentage is something we'll go over with you in writing before you sign anything — nothing is a surprise later. That percentage generally covers:

• Reviewing your case and building your claim
• Gathering medical records, medical bills, and other evidence such as lost wages
• Determining liens or other obligations that by law must be paid
• Negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf
• Filing a lawsuit and going to trial, if it comes to that
• Advancing the costs of investigating your case (more on that below)

What About Other Costs: Filing Fees, Expert Witnesses, Medical Records?

This is the part people are often surprised by. Building a strong personal injury case can involve real expenses: obtaining medical records, court filing fees, expert witness fees, accident reconstruction, and more. In most contingency arrangements, the firm advances these costs during the case and they're reimbursed out of the settlement — again, not out of your pocket while the case is ongoing.

Ask your attorney directly how costs are handled in your specific agreement. A good firm will explain this clearly upfront rather than leaving it vague.  We advance costs and expenses!

Do I Pay Anything for the Initial Consultation?

No. A consultation to discuss your accident and whether you have a case should be free, with no obligation to hire that firm afterward. If a personal injury firm charges you just to talk about your case, that's worth asking about directly.  We do not charge for an initial consultation!

Why This Fee Structure Exists

Contingency fees level the playing field. Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and attorneys working to minimize what they pay out, and most injured people can't afford to go toe-to-toe with that on an hourly-billing basis. The contingency model means your attorney only gets paid if you do — which also means your attorney is motivated to pursue the strongest possible outcome, not just log hours.

What This Means for You

If you're putting off calling a personal injury lawyer because you're worried about cost, that is not an issue.  The conversation costs nothing, and if we take your case, you won't pay us a dime until there's a recovery.

Questions about how fees or costs would work in your specific situation? Reach out for a free consultation at (812) 425-2718— we'll walk through it plainly, before you decide anything.   A consultation is not an obligation.  There is never any pressure.  We want members of our community to be educated on their rights, the process, and their options.