No statutory cap, but a reasonableness standard still applies
Alabama imposes no statutory percentage cap on attorney contingency fees in general personal injury or medical malpractice cases. The fee is set by private agreement between attorney and client, though it must still be reasonable under Alabama's Rules of Professional Conduct — factors like the attorney's experience, the case's complexity, and customary local rates all come into play. 33.3%, or one-third, is a commonly used figure.
What else comes out before you do
Beyond the attorney's fee itself, case costs — expenses the attorney typically advances during litigation, like expert witness fees, filing fees, and the cost of gathering medical records — are generally reimbursed from the settlement. If Medicare, Medicaid, or a private health insurer has an outstanding lien for medical treatment related to the injury, that amount is also repaid before you receive your net share.
A genuinely different rule for workers' comp
It's worth knowing this doesn't apply everywhere in Alabama law. Workers' compensation attorney fees are capped at 15%, fixed by the trial judge — but that's a separate legal system from ordinary personal injury claims, with its own distinct rules.