Can you get funding on a personal injury case?
Yes. If you have a personal injury claim and an attorney working on contingency, you can usually get a pre-settlement advance against your expected settlement. It is non-recourse, so if the case loses, you keep the money and owe nothing. Most plaintiffs qualify for 10–20% of their case's estimated value.
Key facts
- Most personal injury cases settle in 12–24 months; serious cases run longer.
- Funding is non-recourse: no win, no repayment.
- No credit check, no income verification, no monthly payments.
- Typical advance: 10–20% of the estimated case value.
- You must be represented by an attorney on contingency.
What counts as a personal injury case
Personal injury is a broad bucket. It covers anyone hurt because someone else was careless: a pedestrian hit in a crosswalk, a guest mauled by an unleashed dog, a shopper injured by negligent security, a worker burned by faulty equipment. If another party's carelessness left you with medical bills and lost income, you are probably in this category.
The common thread is fault. Someone owed you a duty to be reasonably careful, they weren't, and you got hurt because of it. Your attorney's job is to prove all three. Ours is to make sure you can pay your bills while they do.
Why injured people run out of time before they run out of case
Here is the part insurance companies don't advertise. They know an injured plaintiff with no paycheck will eventually take whatever they offer. Waiting is expensive when you can't work. So the adjuster lowballs, then waits. Most people cave around month four, not because the offer is fair, but because the electric company doesn't care about your settlement timeline.
Pre-settlement funding takes that pressure off the table. When your rent is covered, you can say no to a bad offer and let your attorney do their job. Plaintiffs who can afford to wait tend to recover more, full stop.
How much you can get, and why there's a cap
Most reputable funders advance somewhere between 10% and 20% of what your case is realistically worth. On a case your lawyer values around $80,000, that's roughly $8,000 to $16,000. The cap isn't us being stingy. It protects your net. If advances ate up half the settlement, you'd walk away with very little, and that defeats the point.
Take what you actually need. A single right-sized advance costs far less than three small ones stacked over a year, because the fee grows with time. We say this even though it means we advance you less. It's just the honest math. Our guide on how much funding you can receive walks through it.
What the review looks at
Underwriters care about three things: is fault clear, are your injuries documented, and is there insurance money to collect from. A strong police report or incident report, complete medical records, and a defendant with real coverage make for a fast yes. Gaps in treatment or a he-said-she-said liability fight slow things down, though they rarely kill a case outright.
What people actually spend it on
Rent and mortgage payments, mostly. Then medical copays, car repairs, groceries, and keeping the lights on. This is bridge money for real life, not a windfall. Spend it like the bridge it is.
Frequently asked questions
Once your attorney sends the case documents, most decisions come back within 24 to 72 hours. Funds usually wire within a day of signing.
No. The value of your case is set by liability, your injuries, and the available insurance, not by whether you took an advance. If anything, the financial breathing room helps you hold out for a fair number.
It depends on your state. Most states reduce your recovery by your share of fault rather than barring it. A few are stricter. Underwriting accounts for this when valuing the case.
No. There's no credit check at all. Approval rides on the strength of your case, not your credit score or job history.