We were raised to work hard, keep our word, and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.
I know that about West Texas because I’m from here.
But here’s the problem.
Sometimes the other side is counting on exactly that.
Right now, there’s an insurance adjuster who has already looked at your accident and run the numbers. They have lawyers. They have actuaries. They have entire departments built around one goal — paying you as little as possible. Their job isn’t to make you whole. Their job is to protect the company.
Look, most people I talk to out here don’t want a lawsuit. They don’t want to sue anybody. They’re not trying to be dramatic. They just want to get back to work and take care of their family.
I respect that.
But if you’re in a hospital bed right now, missing work, staring at a stack of bills you can’t pay — why should you be the one left holding the bag?
You didn’t cause this. You didn’t ask for any of it.
That’s what a no-win, no-fee agreement actually is. It means you can hire a real trial attorney — someone who knows how to go toe-to-toe with billion-dollar insurance companies — without paying a single dollar upfront. If we don’t win, you don’t owe us a thing.
Filing a personal injury claim isn’t about greed. And in West Texas, I know that matters. It’s about fairness. When you hire us, you’re not taking advantage of the system.
You’re leveling the playing field.
You didn't cause this. You didn't ask for any of it. So why should you be the one left holding the bag?
Wondering if this is the right option for you? Contact our West Texas personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.
What is a No-Win, No-Fee Agreement?
Here’s the deal.
A no-win, no-fee agreement — you might also hear it called a contingency fee agreement — means you don’t pay me anything to get started. Not when you call. Not while I’m building your case. Not while I’m sitting across from their lawyers.
If I don’t get you money, I don’t get paid. Period.
Under Texas law, these agreements have to be in writing and clearly spell out our percentage. The State Bar of Texas requires that and it’s there to protect you. At Keith & Lorfing, we walk through every line with you before you sign anything. No fine print. No surprises.
No-win, no-fee isn’t a catch-all. Here’s where it makes sense:
- Personal injury — Car accidents, slip and falls, workplace injuries, defective products
- Medical malpractice — Surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication mistakes, hospital negligence
- Wrongful death — When someone you love died because of another person’s carelessness
- Employment disputes — Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment
- Consumer protection — Defective products, unsafe medications, fraudulent business practices
Not sure if your situation fits? Call us. That first conversation doesn’t cost you a thing.
Additional reading: How long does a personal injury case take to settle
How No-Win No Fee Works in Texas
Here’s what actually happens from the first phone call.
- Step 1: I listen before I say a word about your case. We sit down and go through what happened. No pressure. No judgment. I want to hear your side first. I’m selective about the cases I take — I only say yes when I genuinely believe we can win. That protects you as much as it protects us.
- Step 2: We put the agreement in writing. If your case qualifies, we sign a contingency fee agreement that spells out our exact percentage. That number changes depending on whether the case settles before trial, goes to trial, or gets appealed. Every line is explained before you sign. No guesswork.
- Step 3: We pay for everything upfront. Court filing fees. Expert witnesses. Medical records. Depositions. Every dollar it costs to build your case — we cover it. You don’t write a single check while we’re working.
- Step 4: We fight. This is where most firms fall short. Insurance companies make lowball offers because they’re counting on you getting desperate and taking the first number they throw at you. We don’t let that happen. When the other side files five motions, we file ten. When they push, we push harder. We don’t settle until that number reflects what your injury actually cost you — not what was convenient for them.
- Step 5: We win — we take our cut. Our fee and whatever costs we covered come out of the settlement or verdict first. Everything left goes straight to you.
- Step 6: We lose — you pay nothing. That’s the deal. We put it in writing. If we don’t win your case, you don’t owe us attorney fees. Simple as that.
No pressure, no judgment. We only say yes to cases we genuinely believe we can win — that protects you as much as us.
A signed agreement spelling out our exact percentage — and how it changes if the case settles, tries, or is appealed.
Filing fees. Experts. Medical records. Depositions. You don't write a single check while we're working.
Insurance companies lowball because they're counting on you getting desperate. When they file five motions, we file ten.
Our fee and the costs we covered come out of the recovery first. Everything left goes straight to you.
That's the deal, and it's in writing. No attorney fees. No expense bill. Simple as that.
Additional reading: How much does a personal injury lawyer cost
Pros of a No-Win No-Fee Agreement
Let me be straight with you — the good and the honest.
What Works In Your Favor
You don’t need money to fight back. That’s the whole point. You’ve already been hurt. You’re already losing income. You’re already trying to figure out how you’re going to get through next month. You shouldn’t have to write a check to a lawyer just to have a conversation about your rights. A contingency arrangement means the ranch hand in Sweetwater gets the same access to a real legal team as the business owner in Midland.
My fee is tied to yours. Think about what that actually means. The better I do for you, the better I do for myself. The worse I do for you, the worse I do for myself. That alignment is intentional. When you’re going up against insurance companies that have paid lawyers on retainer year-round, having someone on your side who is personally motivated to win big isn’t a small thing.
You get attorneys who could’ve gone anywhere. Our team has handled over 500 jury trials. We have former federal prosecutors and former federal defenders on this team — attorneys who had every option and came back to West Texas. Without a contingency model, that kind of legal firepower isn’t realistic for most working families. That’s the reason we operate this way.
You can take a real shot without betting the house. If your case doesn’t succeed, you typically don’t owe us attorney fees. You went after what you deserved — without risking your savings to do it.
What You Need To Know Going In
We take a percentage — and you should know that going in. In Texas, that’s typically between 25% and 40% of what we recover. You’ll see less than the total number. But in the vast majority of cases, what’s left still far exceeds what you’d have gotten dealing with the insurance company on your own. They’re counting on you not knowing that.
I don’t take every case, and I won’t apologize for it. If the evidence is weak, the liability is unclear, or the damages don’t justify what it costs to fight — I’ll tell you that on day one. Taking a case I’m not confident about doesn’t help you. It wastes your time and mine
Case expenses come back out of your award. We front everything. But when we win, those costs are reimbursed from the settlement. We tell you every single one of them before we start. No surprises on the back end.
Reach out to our Abilene personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation and get the compensation you deserve.
Who Qualifies for a No-Win No-Fee Claim?
I don’t take every case on contingency.
And honestly it wouldn’t be fair to you if I did.
Here’s how I think about it. When I shake your hand and agree to take your case, I’m committing our firm’s money, our team’s time, and our name on the line to winning for you. I only do that when I genuinely believe we can. That’s not me being selective for my own sake — it’s me making sure I only take fights we can win.
case looks like
may not fit
What A Strong Case Looks Like
Clear fault. The first question is always: who was to blame, and can we prove it? A rear-end collision with a police report that puts the fault squarely on the other driver is a strong starting point. The cleaner the fault, the stronger the foundation.
Real evidence. I’ve seen cases with everything going for them fall apart because of what wasn’t documented. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- Medical records documenting your injuries and treatment plan
- An accident or incident report filed at the time of the event
- Witness statements from people who saw what happened
- Proof of lost wages — pay stubs, employer letters, tax records
- Photos or video of the scene, the hazard, or your injuries
Damages that are real and documented. I focus on cases where the injuries are serious — ones that required real medical care, changed how you work or live, or hit your family’s finances hard.
Where Contingency May Not Be The Right Fit
Risk factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Unclear fault | Hard to prove = hard to win |
Minor injuries, low damages | Cost of litigation may exceed the recovery |
Delayed medical treatment | Gaps in care let the other side argue the injury wasn’t serious |
Little to no documentation | Without evidence, it’s your word alone — and that’s a hard case |
Multi-party complexity | Some situations need a different fee structure entirely |
If your case doesn’t fit our contingency model, I’ll tell you that straight — and explain why. I’d rather give you that answer on day one than drag you through something we shouldn’t have started.
Common Myths & Misconceptions About No-Win No Fee Agreements
Let me clear up a few things I hear constantly.
Myth 1: "No-win no-fee means no cost at all"
Almost. You won’t pay attorney fees if we lose — that part is true. But here’s what most people miss: some firms still require clients to cover case costs regardless of the outcome. Filing fees. Expert witnesses. Medical records. Not every firm handles this the same way.
At Keith & Lorfing, we front all of it. If we lose, you typically owe us nothing — not fees, not expenses. We say this before you sign, because we’ve seen what happens when firms bury that in the fine print.
Myth 2: "It Doesn't Matter Which Lawyer You Pick — They All Offer The Same Deal"
Not all attorneys handle cases on a contingency fee basis the same way. Some firms have higher success rates, more experience, and better resources to handle complex cases.
Additionally, the percentage attorneys take from your settlement can vary. At Keith & Lorfing, we have over 150 years of combined experience and are dedicated to fighting for maximum compensation for our clients.
Myth 3: "Lawyers settle quickly to get paid faster"
I hear this one a lot. And it’s a fair thing to wonder about.
Less settlement means less fee. The math is on your side. We've taken cases all the way to trial because the other side thought we'd blink. We didn't. Over 500 times.
Here’s the truth: a lawyer who settles low isn’t doing you any favors and they’re not doing themselves any favors either. Less settlement means less fee. The math is on your side.
At Keith & Lorfing, we don’t settle until the number is right. When the insurance company comes in low, we say no. When they come back low again, we say no again. We’ve taken cases all the way to trial because the other side thought we’d blink. We didn’t. That’s not a line on a website.
That’s what we’ve actually done. Over 500 times.
No-Win No Fee Claim Average Amounts
People always want a number. I get it.
Here’s a rough picture, but look at that car accident range for a second. $2,500 to over $23 million. That’s not a typo. That gap exists because what you recover depends almost entirely on the evidence, the severity of your injuries, and who’s actually fighting for you.
Type of case | Typical range |
|---|---|
Personal injury claims | $3,000 – $75,000 (varies by injury severity) |
Medical malpractice | $50,000 – $1,000,000+ (severe cases) |
Workplace accident claims | $10,000 – $500,000 (depends on injury and liability) |
Car accident claims | $2,500 to $23M+ (major crashes with serious injuries) |
Other compensation claims | Varies based on damages, fault, and available coverage |
Is No-Win, No-Fee Right for You?
Three questions. Answer them honestly.
- Can you afford to pay a lawyer by the hour right now?
For most people who’ve just been hurt — dealing with medical bills, missing shifts, trying to keep the family afloat — the answer is no. A contingency arrangement removes that barrier entirely. - Is your case documented?
Medical records. An accident report. Proof of what you’ve lost. The stronger the evidence, the more confident I am taking your case — and the stronger our position when we’re sitting across the table from the other side. - Are you okay with us taking a percentage of what we win?
That’s the honest tradeoff. No money up front. Nothing if we lose. But if we win, we take our agreed percentage. For most clients, what’s left is still far more than they’d have recovered going it alone.
Here’s something most people don’t know: the insurance company has already run the numbers on your claim.
Before you ever picked up the phone, someone on their side looked at your accident and decided what your injury is worth to them. Not what it cost you. What it’s worth to them. That number is almost always lower — often a lot lower than what you actually deserve.
A no-win, no-fee attorney changes that equation. It puts someone in your corner who has every reason to fight and no reason to quit.
No-Win No-Fee Examples
✓ Scenario 1: When It Works
Picture a man we’ll call Marcus. Works oil field supply outside Odessa. Long shifts, hard work — the kind of job that doesn’t leave a lot of margin.
One evening he’s driving home and a driver runs a red light at full speed. Hits his truck broadside. Two herniated discs. A shattered wrist. Months of physical therapy ahead.
He can’t work. The medical bills are stacking up. There’s no way he can pay a lawyer by the hour.
But his case is solid. Police report. Clear fault. Documented injuries. A clean record of lost income. We took his case on contingency, covered every cost upfront, and got to work.
The insurance company’s first offer was an insult. We said no. Their second offer wasn’t much better. We said no again. By the time it was over, Marcus had a settlement that actually reflected what his injury cost him — every bill, every missed paycheck, everything.
That’s what this arrangement is supposed to do.
Hypothetical scenario for illustrative purposes only. Does not represent an actual Keith & Lorfing case.
✗ Scenario 2: When it doesn't fit
Now picture a woman we’ll call Patricia. She slipped in a grocery store and was genuinely hurt. And she was angry — rightfully so.
But she hadn’t reported the fall at the time. Hadn’t photographed the hazard. Had waited three weeks before seeing a doctor.
We had to have a hard conversation. Without a documented hazardous condition and a clear medical timeline, proving the store’s negligence was going to be a steep climb. Taking her case on contingency wasn’t something we could do — not because we didn’t care, but because taking a case we weren’t confident in wouldn’t help her. It would waste her time.
We walked her through other options and pointed her toward what fit her situation.
Sometimes the most useful thing I can tell someone is the truth — even when it’s not what they were hoping to hear.
Hypothetical scenario for illustrative purposes only. Does not represent an actual Keith & Lorfing case.
Our No-Win No-Fee Lawyers Are Here to Help
Here’s the bottom line.
The insurance company isn’t waiting for you to figure things out. They’ve already evaluated your claim. They’ve already made a decision about what your injury is worth to them. And that number was set by people whose entire job is to protect the company’s money — not yours.
A no-win, no-fee arrangement puts a legal team in your corner that has every reason to fight back. No upfront cost. Nothing owed if we lose. A team that has been inside a West Texas courtroom more times than most lawyers in this state will ever see.
Is it the right fit for every case? No. If your evidence is weak or the liability is unclear, I’ll tell you that straight — in the first conversation, not six months in. I’d rather be honest with you upfront than take a case I shouldn’t.
But if you were hurt through no fault of your own, if the bills are real, if the losses are real, and if you’ve been sitting there wondering whether you can actually afford to fight back…
You can.
We don’t take cases we don’t believe in. And we don’t back down from the ones we do.
Call our Texas law firm today for a free consultation and find out if you qualify.
