Personal injury settlement estimator

Inputs

Medical bills (incurred + expected)	$25,000
Monthly gross wage	$5,500
Months off work	3
Injury severity	Moderate (3x): broken bones, surgery, full recovery
Attorney contingency %	33.3%

Supporting metrics

Gross settlement	$116,500
Pain & suffering	$75,000
Attorney fee	$38,794

About this calculator

The multiplier method — what insurance adjusters actually use

Insurance companies don't make up settlement numbers. They use a formula: economic damages (bills + lost wages) plus a multiplier on the medical bills representing pain and suffering. This calculator runs that math from your side.

The multipliers

1.5x — Minor: Soft tissue, full recovery, no surgery
3x — Moderate: Surgery, broken bones, scarring, full eventual recovery
4x — Severe: Permanent partial impairment (limited mobility, chronic pain)
5x+ — Catastrophic: Permanent total disability, traumatic brain injury, paralysis

What's NOT in this calc

Punitive damages — only awarded for gross negligence (drunk driving, etc.)
Loss of consortium — separate cause of action by the spouse
Future medical — should be lump-summed and added to "Medical bills"
Attorney costs (filing fees, expert witnesses) — typically deducted from the gross before contingency

When the multiplier doesn't apply

Hard caps in some states (Texas: $250k non-economic in med-mal). Fault apportionment (50% your fault → settlement reduced 50%). Policy limits (only $25k of UM coverage available means $25k is the actual ceiling regardless of damages).

FAQ

What's a realistic contingency rate?

Standard sliding scale: 33⅓% if settled before filing suit, 40% if filed and tried, 45% if appealed. Some states cap (Florida pre-trial: 33⅓% on first $1M). Always negotiable but most personal injury plaintiffs accept the standard.

Should I take the first offer?

Almost never. Insurance companies open at 30-50% of their authority figure. The first offer is a probe — they want to see if you'll fold. Counter at 1.3x your calculator's gross and negotiate down. The exception: small soft-tissue claims under $5k, where adjuster cost-of-litigation can flip the math against you.

Why is pain & suffering tied to medical bills?

Because medical bills are objective evidence of injury severity. A $50k surgery + 8 months PT documents real impact; a $300 ER visit doesn't. Adjusters and juries both anchor on the medical-bill total when assessing how much suffering occurred. This is why padded medicals (extra MRIs, longer PT) raise settlements but invite fraud counterclaims.