It is no longer restricted to personal injury cases, but is used in cases of business fraud, collection debts, and contractual disputes. The contingency fee principle has elevated the individual to the same legal level as the wealthiest corporation. This principle is not confined to lawyers and their clients. Many businesses pay their employees on a commission basis. Insurance companies usually pay their sales people on a percentage of the premiums collected.
Stockbrokers charge fees based upon the dollar amount of their transactions.
Real estate people charge a percentage of sale only if the sale is made. There are many such examples of the workings of a fair contingency system at work in our society. If any attorney takes a case on a contingency fee, the attorney only gets paid if the case is won. If the case is lost, the attorney gets no fee. In addition, the attorney will often agree to advance the costs of the suit for the client.