Are there any other costs required to pursue my claim?

ANSWER: Yes. Nothing is free including your access to the legal system. However, most plaintiffs law firms will advance the expenses necessary to pursue your claim so you do not incur any out of pocket cost. Some firms that focus on representing plaintiffs in personal injury matters will even make their recovery of these costs contingent on the outcome so that if no recovery is made you do not have to reimburse any money advanced. Some of the costs incurred merely to settle the case include investigating and preserving the accident scene, ordering medical records and bills and consulting with experts as needed, all of which can cost from several hundred dollars to several thousand. If a lawsuit is filed the costs go up from there beginning with the filing fee payable to the court and continuing through court reporter fees for depositions, paying your treating doctors for their time to testify, retaining other experts to testify on various issues and numerous other expenses. Litigation expenses can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars or more depending upon the complexity of the case. Finally, while the losing party does not generally have to pay the winning party's attorney fees, the court can order the losing party to pay for certain, limited costs incurred by the winning party, including transcript charges, subpoena fees and juror compensation. These court costs, which the losing party may be ordered to pay, is your only financial risk and they only arise if the case is tried and lost, as opposed to settled.