How is a personal injury settlement calculated?

It is calculated by adding up your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage) and multiplying your medical losses by a severity multiplier (typically 1.5x to 5x) to estimate pain and suffering, minus any percentage of shared fault.

What is a standard pain and suffering multiplier?

For minor injuries, insurance adjusters use a multiplier of 1.5x to 2x. For moderate injuries, 2.5x to 3.5x. For severe or permanent injuries, the multiplier can scale from 4x to 5x.

Personal Injury Settlement Estimator & Car Accident Calculator

Personal Injury Settlement Estimator

Calculate your estimated injury claim payout, damages, and attorney fees.

Total Medical Bills ($)

Estimated Future Medical Costs ($)

Lost Wages ($)

Property Damage ($)

Injury Severity / Multiplier

Your Fault Percentage (%)

Deduct Standard Attorney Fees (33.33%)

Economic Damages $0

Pain & Suffering (Est.) $0

Gross Settlement Value $0

Attorney Fees (33.33%) -$0

Estimated Net Payout

Economic

Pain & Suffering

Atty Fees

Net Payout

Fault

How to Calculate a Personal Injury Settlement

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or workplace incident, determining the fair value of your settlement is the most critical step before speaking with an insurance adjuster. Our Personal Injury Settlement Estimator uses standard insurance industry formulas to calculate both your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering).

The Multiplier Method Explained

Insurance companies typically use the Multiplier Method to calculate pain and suffering. They take your total medical expenses (special damages) and multiply them by a number between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of your injuries.

Multiplier 1.5 – 2: Minor injuries (e.g., whiplash, minor sprains) with full recovery in a few weeks.
Multiplier 3 – 4: Moderate to severe injuries (e.g., broken bones, surgery) requiring months of physical therapy.
Multiplier 5+: Catastrophic, life-altering injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injury, paralysis, permanent disfigurement).

Why You Need This Estimate Before Hiring a Lawyer

Having a baseline estimate empowers you during free consultations with personal injury attorneys. While no online calculator can replace legal advice, knowing whether your case is worth ,000 or ,000 ensures you don’t accept a lowball offer from aggressive insurance companies.