How much are Attorney’s Fees and How are they Paid?

Attorney’s fees are small and on a contingency fee basis. All attorneys’ fees must be approved by the workers’ compensation judge based on an approved schedule by the State of California to insure that an attorney does not take advantage of an injured worker. The normal fee is 15% of the final award. On a findings and award, the fee is normally 15% of the amount of permanent disability and any additional temporary disability awarded that had been denied by the insurance carrier. There is no attorney’s fee on the award for future medical treatment. On a compromise and release, the fee is normally 15% of the amount of the settlement. In complex cases, normally those, which proceed to trial or multiple settlement conferences, the Board can award a fee up to 15%.

The fees are relatively small and it normally pays an injured worker to have an attorney on any injury, which results in substantial disability.