Live estimator · Updated 2026

Personal injury settlement calculator

A full settlement estimate, not just one line item: medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, reduced by your state's comparative negligence rule if fault is disputed. Median US personal injury settlement is $31,000; mean is $52,900 (Bureau of Justice Statistics). Your case will rarely land at either.

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Enter your numbers below. The calculator updates as you type — no submit button, no data leaves your browser.

Injury type

Medical bills so far ($)

Estimated future medical ($)

Days of work missed

Daily wage ($)

Weeks of treatment: 12

Other party's fault: 100%

Your state (for legal context)

Your estimated settlement range

$31,200 – $43,200

Medical expenses: $8,000
Lost wages: $2,800
Pain & suffering: $20,000 – $32,000
With attorney (33% fee), your net:: $20,904 – $28,944
MULTIPLIER USED: 2.5x – 4.0x · MODERATE INJURY

This is an estimate based on typical multipliers, not a guarantee. Your attorney may calculate differently based on your specific facts.

What's in the total

Three line items, added together. Economic damages: medical bills so far plus estimated future medical, plus lost wages (days missed × daily wage). Non-economic damages: pain and suffering, calculated as medical bills × a severity multiplier (1.5x for minor injuries up to 10x for catastrophic ones). The sum is then multiplied by the other party's fault percentage.

If you only want the pain and suffering portion by itself, use the pain and suffering calculator instead — same multiplier engine, narrower output.

How your state's negligence rule changes the number

Fault isn't all-or-nothing in most states. 12 states use pure comparative negligence — you recover even at 99% fault, reduced by your percentage. 34 states use modified comparative negligence, with a bar at either 50% or 51% fault: cross it and you recover nothing. Four states plus DC — Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia — use contributory negligence, where even 1% of fault on your side can eliminate the claim entirely. Source: ABA TIPS 50-state comparative negligence survey, 2023.

Select your state in the calculator above to see which rule applies and how it's already factored into the math.

Q&A

Frequently asked questions

01 What goes into a personal injury settlement calculation?

Three components: medical bills (current plus future), lost wages, and pain and suffering (medical bills × a severity multiplier of 1.5x–10x). The three add up to a total, then the total is reduced by your percentage of fault if liability is disputed. Median personal injury settlement in the US is $31,000; mean is $52,900 (Bureau of Justice Statistics).

02 How does my state affect my personal injury settlement?

Through its comparative or contributory negligence rule. 12 states use pure comparative negligence (you recover even at 99% fault, reduced by your %). 34 states use modified comparative negligence (you recover nothing if you're 50% or 51%+ at fault, depending on the state). Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and DC use contributory negligence — 1% fault on your side can zero the claim. Source: ABA TIPS 50-state survey, 2023.

03 What is comparative negligence?

A rule that reduces your settlement by your percentage of fault rather than eliminating it. If you're found 20% at fault on a $100,000 claim, you recover $80,000 in a comparative-negligence state. In the 4 contributory-negligence states (plus DC), any fault on your part — even 1% — can eliminate recovery entirely.

04 Are lost wages part of a personal injury settlement?

Yes, as an economic damage calculated separately from pain and suffering: days missed × daily wage, plus any documented future lost earning capacity for serious injuries. Lost wages tied to a physical injury are not taxable, same as the pain and suffering portion (IRS Publication 4345).

05 How accurate is a personal injury settlement calculator?

It gives a realistic range, not a guaranteed number. The multiplier method is the same approach adjusters and attorneys use, but your actual settlement depends on evidence, insurance policy limits, your state's negligence rule, and negotiation. Treat the output as a starting point for a demand letter, not a promise.