Damages & Case Value
Personal Injury Damages Estimator
Estimate personal injury damages. The non-economic damages multiplier applies to total medical expenses.
This is an estimate for settlement discussion purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not account for all possible factors.
How it works
This tool estimates personal injury damages using the multiplier method — the longest-standing shorthand in injury valuation. Economic damages are added up directly: medical expenses to date, future medical expenses, lost earnings to date, future lost earnings, and property damage.
Non-economic damages — pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment — are estimated by multiplying total medical expenses (past and future combined) by a factor between 1× and 5×. Minor, fully-resolved injuries sit near the bottom of that range; severe, permanent, well-documented injuries sit near the top.
The output is an itemized breakdown, so you can see exactly how much of the total is hard economic loss and how much rides on the multiplier — which is usually where the negotiation actually happens.
Worked example
Medicals of $25,000 to date plus $10,000 expected — $35,000 total — at a 3× multiplier produces $105,000 of non-economic damages. Add $15,000 in lost earnings to date, $20,000 future, and $5,000 in property damage, and the estimate is $180,000. At 2× the same case is $145,000; at 4× it is $215,000. That range is the real output.
When to use it
Use it to frame a demand, test a reserve, or give a client a realistic bracket for their case. Run it at two or three multipliers rather than one — the spread shows how much of the case's value is judgment rather than arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
What is the multiplier method?
A valuation shorthand that estimates pain and suffering as a multiple — typically 1× to 5× — of medical expenses. It is a starting point used by adjusters and lawyers, not a legal rule, and the appropriate multiplier depends on injury severity, permanence, documentation, and jurisdiction.
What multiplier should I use?
Soft-tissue injuries that resolve fully tend toward 1–2×. Fractures, surgeries, and injuries with lasting effects support 3× or more. Permanent, life-altering injuries can justify the top of the range or more than this tool offers. When in doubt, run several and present the range.
Are medical expenses based on billed or paid amounts?
Jurisdictions differ on whether the jury sees billed charges, amounts actually paid, or both. Enter the figure your jurisdiction uses — the multiplier compounds whatever base you give it, so this choice matters.
Does the calculation include punitive damages or comparative fault?
No. Punitive damages, comparative-fault reductions, liens, and subrogation all sit outside this estimate. Treat the output as a gross full-liability number and adjust from there.