Estimate your car accident compensation: economic losses plus general damages, adjusted for your share of fault. Results are educational estimates only, not legal advice. Consult a personal injury attorney about your specific claim.
Estimates only.
This calculator estimates car accident compensation using the multiplier method, then applies comparative negligence to show what you would actually recover after your share of fault is deducted.
Economic damages are your verifiable financial losses: medical expenses already paid, income lost during recovery, and estimated future care costs such as follow-up surgery, physical therapy, or ongoing medication. Experienced plaintiff attorneys include future costs from the outset because those costs are real and documented. A treating physician's written prognosis or a formal life-care plan is what makes that figure defensible when an insurer questions it.
General damages compensate for the non-economic impact: physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, disrupted sleep, and the activities and relationships the injury altered. The multiplier method applies a severity factor to the full economic loss base. A factor of 1.5 fits a minor, short-lived injury. A factor of 3 fits moderate injury with several months of treatment. A factor of 4 to 5 is reserved for serious, lasting, or permanent harm. The adjuster has a number in mind too; knowing how it is calculated is useful.
Most states follow comparative negligence rules that reduce your compensation by the percentage of fault assigned to you. If your gross claim is $92,000 and you are found 20 percent at fault, your net recovery drops to $73,600. Under pure comparative fault (California, New York, Florida, and others), any share of fault reduces your award but does not bar recovery. Under modified comparative fault (the majority of states), recovery is barred if your share reaches 50 or 51 percent. Enter your estimated fault percentage to see the adjusted figure. If fault is contested, run a few scenarios at 5, 20, and 50 percent to see the spread before you decide how to negotiate.
Actual compensation depends on the evidence you can present, the at-fault party's insurance coverage, whether a court or insurer accepts the future cost projections, and your state's damages rules. Policy limits alone can cut the real recovery well below the calculated figure. This tool is for education only. It is not legal advice. Consult a licensed personal injury attorney before making any decisions about your claim.
See the standalone pain and suffering estimator, or read more about how a fault percentage changes a real settlement.
Comparative negligence is the legal doctrine that reduces your compensation by your share of fault. If you are found 25 percent at fault and your damages total $80,000, your net recovery is $60,000. Most states use either pure comparative fault (any fault reduces but does not bar recovery) or modified comparative fault (recovery is barred if your fault reaches 50 or 51 percent). A personal injury attorney can tell you which rule applies in your state and how fault is typically allocated in cases similar to yours.
Yes, if your doctor or a specialist has documented them. Future medical costs are a recognized economic damage in all states. They require real support: a treating physician's written opinion, imaging reports, or a formal life-care plan for serious injuries. An unsupported number in a demand letter is the first thing an adjuster will reject; documentation is what makes it stick.
It reflects injury severity and permanence. Use 1.5 for minor soft-tissue injuries that resolve within weeks. Use 2 to 3 for moderate injuries requiring months of treatment. Use 3.5 to 4 for serious injuries with surgery, significant disability, or a long recovery. Use 4.5 to 5 for permanent impairment, chronic pain, or major life impact. Insurers have their own scoring tools and will not share them. The multiplier is a negotiated figure, influenced by liability clarity, medical documentation, and jurisdiction. Your number needs to be defensible, not just high.
Economic damages (also called special damages) are verifiable financial losses: medical bills, lost income, property repair, and future care costs. General damages (also called non-economic damages) cover pain, suffering, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life. Both are recoverable in personal injury claims. Some states cap general damages in certain claim types, so the gross estimate shown here may differ from what a court would award in your jurisdiction.
Because fault is frequently contested and rarely known with certainty until late in a claim. Testing your figures at a low, middle, and high estimated fault percentage shows you the real spread of possible outcomes before you commit to a negotiating position, rather than anchoring on a single assumption.