The problem of recovering litigation costs drives many of the claims for imaginative damages. Contingent fees create an undue emphasis on the extent of the plaintiff's damages, and they encourage the filing and prosecution of cases with large damages but little negligence.
Contingent means that an event may or may not occur in the future, depending on the fulfillment of some condition that is uncertain. This term is often used in contracts where the event will not take effect until the specified condition occurs.