Originally Posted by NattyBumpo

The personal injury litigation industry runs on contingency cases. The lawyer agrees to take the case in return for a percentage of any settlement you might receive (his expenses always come off the top). They basically are playing the odds that they can wrangle an out-of-court settlement for a tidy profit without having to invest the time and other assets to prepare for a jury trial. These guys will not charge you for the initial interview, and do not turn up their nose at a potential client (unless and until they have reason to believe you're a crackpot or have absolutely no legitimate case).