Personal injury settlements generally cover two categories: economic damages (medical bills, lost income, property damage) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering). This calculator applies the multiplier method — the same approach insurance adjusters use as a negotiation starting point — to any type of injury claim.
This tool uses the multiplier method: (medical bills + lost wages) × a pain-and-suffering multiplier based on injury severity (1.5x for minor, 3x for moderate, 5x for severe), minus any reduction for your percentage of fault. It's the same starting-point approach insurance adjusters commonly use in negotiations — not a guaranteed outcome.
If you select a state, this tool applies that state's actual comparative/contributory negligence rule and, where researched, its noneconomic-damages cap for this claim type — see the methodology page for exactly which states and rules are currently covered. If your state's rule bars recovery at your entered fault percentage, this tool shows an explanation instead of a dollar amount — that percentage is your own estimate, not a legal finding, and several of these rules have real exceptions.
Medical bills (past and future), lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage — losses with a specific dollar figure attached.
Economic damages have a receipt or pay stub behind them. Non-economic damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life) don't — they're estimated using methods like the multiplier.
Not always for minor claims, but insurers typically offer less to unrepresented claimants. For serious injuries or disputed liability, legal representation usually improves outcomes.