Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Estimate a rough injury settlement using the multiplier method — medical bills, lost wages and a severity multiplier.
Rough estimate — not legal advice or a settlement offer. This is a very rough educational estimate using the common 'multiplier method' — it is NOT legal advice, not a prediction, and not what any insurer or court will pay. Real settlements depend on liability, evidence, policy limits and jurisdiction. Consult a licensed personal-injury attorney about your case.
The multiplier method gives a rough settlement estimate by adding economic losses (medical bills and lost wages) to general damages for pain and suffering, calculated as the medical bills times a severity multiplier — typically 1.5 for minor injuries up to 5 for severe ones. It is only a starting point, not what a claim will actually pay.
⚠️ Double-check important results. This is an educational estimate, not professional advice — and where it uses a rate, bracket or fee, those change over time. Verify anything you'll rely on, especially in legal, financial, tax or medical matters, and read our full disclaimer. Think a result is wrong? Tell us so we can fix it.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your total medical bills from the accident and the income you lost while unable to work. Choose a severity level, which sets the multiplier applied to your medical bills to approximate pain-and-suffering damages.
The calculator adds your economic losses to that pain-and-suffering figure for a rough total. Treat it as the roughest of starting points — real cases turn on details this cannot capture.
How the Calculation Works
Settlements are often discussed in two parts. Economic damages are concrete losses — medical bills and lost wages. General damages cover pain and suffering, which has no receipt, so insurers and attorneys often approximate it as a multiple of the medical bills.
The multiplier reflects severity: around 1.5 for minor soft-tissue injuries, up to 5 for severe, permanent or disfiguring ones. The estimate adds the economic losses to the medical-bills-times-multiplier figure.
estimate = medical + lost wages + (medical × multiplier)
Worked Example
Suppose medical bills are $10,000, lost wages are $5,000, and the injury is moderate (multiplier 3). Pain-and-suffering is estimated at 10,000 × 3 = $30,000.
The rough total is 10,000 + 5,000 + 30,000 = $45,000. Change the severity and the figure moves sharply — which shows how approximate the method is.
Assumptions and Limitations
- The multiplier method is a rough industry rule of thumb, not a formula courts use
- Ignores fault/liability, policy limits, comparative negligence and jurisdiction
- Severe cases and future medical costs are poorly captured by a single multiplier
- Not legal advice — a personal-injury attorney can assess a real claim
When to Use a Car Accident Settlement Calculator
People injured in a crash use this for a rough settlement estimate using the multiplier method on medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Run it before talking to an at-fault driver's insurer to set expectations and have a starting number. It is an educational estimate only — an attorney can value your specific claim, and you should consult one before settling.
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Open calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
How is a car accident settlement calculated?
One common rough method adds economic losses (medical bills and lost wages) to pain-and-suffering damages, estimated as medical bills times a severity multiplier of about 1.5 to 5. Real settlements depend on many other factors.
What is the multiplier method?
It approximates pain-and-suffering damages by multiplying medical bills by a factor reflecting injury severity — roughly 1.5 for minor injuries up to 5 for severe ones — then adding economic losses.
Is this what I will actually receive?
No. It is a very rough estimate, not a prediction. Actual settlements depend on liability, evidence, insurance policy limits, your jurisdiction and negotiation. Consult a personal-injury attorney.
What counts as economic damages?
Concrete, documented losses such as medical bills, future medical costs, lost wages and property damage. Pain and suffering are 'general' damages, which the multiplier approximates.
Does a higher multiplier mean a bigger settlement?
In this rough method, yes — severe injuries use a higher multiplier. But in reality the multiplier is a negotiation heuristic, and outcomes hinge on evidence and liability, not a fixed number.
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