Attorney involvement in auto injury claims has increased over the past 20 years, with 52 percent of bodily injury liability claimants hiring lawyers in 2017, up from 49 percent in 2007, and 39 percent in personal injury protection claims in 2017. This increase is due to larger settlements and lower take-home payments. The Insurance Research Council found that attorneys typically receive lower net payments than unrepresented ones. This is due largely to a contingency fee, medical liens and health insurer reimbursement claim their share, a process called subrogation, which allows insurers to recover what they paid out of your settlement. However, this is difficult for serious injuries, as representation can deliver the greatest value in complex claims involving catastrophic, high-severity, limited coverage, or at-fault drivers.