Mostly personal injury attorneys are compensated on a contingency fee basis; it means that you are not obligated to pay attorney’s costs unless you receive cash compensation. In most personal injury cases, fees are calculated as a third of the net recovery. Fees for medical malpractice claims are calculated on a sliding system, beginning at 30% and down to 10% depending on the amount obtained. In federal court, attorneys are paid 25% of the net recovery.