Our car accident settlement calculator is a free, no-signup tool which produces an instant estimate. Most accident victims have no idea what their claim is worth before speaking with a lawyer. The tool factors in medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Our calculator is for informational purposes and does not replace legal advice.
Call our experienced car accident lawyers today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one was injured or killed in an auto accident. We can help you recover money to compensate you for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, property damage, wrongful death and more, and won’t charge you any fee until we win your case.
Free Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Use our free car accident settlement calculator below to estimate what your injury claim may be worth. Enter your property damage, medical bills, lost income, and other damages to receive an instant estimate.
How to Use Our Car Accident Settlement Calculator
No email or personal information is required to get your estimate.
Results are instant and can serve as a baseline before you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Step 1: Input Your Property Damage
Enter the amount of property damage you suffered in your accident into this field. This is the cost to repair or replace your vehicle as well as any other property inside your vehicle at the time of your accident.
Step 2: Input Your Medical Expenses
Enter your total medical costs into this field. This includes the costs of things like emergency room visits, doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, physical therapy and more.
Step 3: Input Your Estimated Future Medical Expenses
Enter an estimate of the future medical costs you will incur due to your injuries into this field, including the costs of ongoing medical treatment.
A settlement can compensate you for the estimated future medical expenses you can reasonably be expected to incur due to your injuries in the future.
Step 4: Input Your Lost Income
Enter the income you have already lost due to your injuries into this field. This includes wages you were unable to earn because you were hurt too badly to work. This also includes wages you were unable to earn because you had to take time off from work to attend medical appointments.
Step 5: Input Your Estimated Future Lost Income
Enter the income you will lose in the future due to your injuries into this field.
So, if there is income that you would have been able to earn in the future had you not gotten hurt, but will no longer be able to earn due to your injuries, enter that income into this field.
Step 6: Pain and Suffering Multiplier
Rate the physical pain and mental suffering you have endured due to your injuries on a scale of 1.5 to 5, then adjust the slider accordingly.
More severe or permanent injuries usually justify higher multipliers.
Step 7: Input Your Estimated Degree of Fault
Adjust the slider accordingly based on your estimate of how much you were at fault for the accident if you believe you were partially at fault.
Leave the slider at 0% if you believe you were not at fault at all for the accident.
Final Step: Calculate Your Estimated Settlement Amount
Once you have filled out all of the fields and adjusted the two sliders properly, click the “CALCULATE MY ESTIMATED SETTLEMENT” button to receive a free, instant settlement estimate.
What Can a Car Accident Claim Calculator Estimate?
Our personal injury settlement calculator helps individuals estimate the potential value of their claim by inputting specific details about their case. It produces a ballpark figure based on the inputs you provide.
Our car accident settlement calculator estimates potential compensation by adding measurable financial losses and applying a formula for subjective losses.
Settlement calculators do not account for the skills of your lawyer, the willingness of the other party to settle, insurer tactics, policy limits or disputed liability.
Real settlements can exceed or fall short of the estimate depending on case-specific factors.
A lawyer can often find damages that the calculator missed, such as future lost income or future medical expenses.
Our calculator is best used as a starting point rather than a substitute for a legal evaluation.
Call us today for a FREE case evaluation at (800) 718-4658 if you or a loved one was injured or killed in an automobile accident.
Damages Included in Our Auto Accident Settlement Calculator
Economic Damages
Calculators typically consider economic damages such as medical expenses, lost income, and property damage when estimating settlement values.
Insurance companies often begin their evaluation of a claim with an assessment of economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages.
Types of economic damages include:
Medical Bills
Medical expenses include all past and future medical bills, such as hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitation costs, emergency care, medications and physical therapy.
Future medical expenses account for anticipated ongoing medical care needed after an injury. This can include long-term treatment or ongoing rehabilitation.
Lost Wages
Lost wages refer to the income lost due to being unable to work after an injury.
Future Lost Income
Future lost income refers to the total sum of income that may be lost due to ongoing treatment or an inability to work.
Property Damage
Property damage compensation covers the repair or replacement of damaged personal property due to an accident.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Out-of-pocket expenses include miscellaneous costs incurred as a result of the injury, such as transportation or home modifications.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages like pain and suffering are often estimated using a multiplier method applied to economic damages.
Non-economic damages include intangible losses such as emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
Types of non-economic damages include:
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering damages compensate for the physical pain and emotional distress caused by an injury, both at the time of the crash and during recovery.
Emotional distress includes anxiety, depression or PTSD resulting from the accident.
Mental anguish damages address psychological distress stemming from the accident or injury.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
You may qualify for compensation for lost enjoyment of life if your injuries prevent you from participating in activities you previously enjoyed.
Loss of Consortium
Loss of consortium covers the loss of companionship and support from a spouse or family member due to an injury.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are awarded in cases of gross negligence or intentional harm to punish the wrongdoer, such as in cases involving drunk driving.
Punitive damages can significantly increase the overall settlement amount in cases of gross negligence or intentional harm.
How Pain and Suffering Is Calculated After a Car Accident
Calculators typically use either the multiplier method or per diem method to value pain and suffering.
The Multiplier Method
The multiplier method, which is the method our calculator uses, totals your economic damages and multiplies them by a number between 1.5 and 5.
More severe or permanent injuries typically justify a higher multiplier.
Insurance companies will default to lower multipliers if you don’t have an attorney to apply legal pressure on them.
The Per Diem Method
The Per Diem Method assigns a specific dollar amount to every day the victim suffers from the injury until maximum medical recovery.
That dollar amount is then multiplied by the number of days you suffered.
This method works best when the recovery period has a clear start and end point.
This method is less commonly used than the multiplier method but is accepted in many jurisdictions.
An attorney can determine which method better supports the value of your specific claim.
What Is the Average Car Accident Settlement Worth?
The average personal injury settlement can vary widely, with many factors influencing the final amount.
Injury severity is the primary factor in determining the potential value of a car accident settlement.
| Injury Type | Approximate Settlement Range |
| Minor: Whiplash, sprains, soft tissue injuries | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Moderate: Fractures, herniated discs, concussion | $30,000 to $85,000 |
| Serious: Multiple fractures, torn ligaments, nerve damage | $85,000 to $250,000 |
| Severe: Spinal injury, TBI, permanent disability | $250,000 to $1,000,000+ |
| Catastrophic injuries or Wrongful Death | $1,000,000+ |
Factors which can impact the size of your settlement include:
Injury Severity
The severity of your injuries will play a large role in determining the value of your claim.
The length of recovery and the impact on the injured person’s daily life can influence the final settlement value.
Cases with severe injuries or significant impact on the claimant’s quality of life often yield higher compensation.
Liability
Establishing liability is an important step in any personal injury case.
Cases with very clear, obvious liability may be worth more than cases with disputed liability.
Insurance Limits
The insurance policies of the at-fault party will influence the potential settlement amount.
A settlement cannot exceed the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage limits unless the claimant sues the individual directly.
The at-fault party’s ability to pay can also play a role in the final settlement amount.
Evidence
The availability of strong evidence, witness testimonies, and expert opinions can bolster your case.
The strength of the evidence and the jurisdiction’s laws can heavily influence settlement amounts.
What to Do After Getting Your Car Accident Estimate
Seek Medical Attention
The first thing to do after getting your car accident estimate is to promptly seek medical attention if you haven’t already, then dutifully follow your prescribed treatment plan.
It’s vital to have any and all injuries diagnosed and documented by a healthcare professional as quickly as possible after an accident. Insurance companies can claim something other than your accident caused your injuries if you wait too long to have them diagnosed and documented. This can lead to them devaluing or denying your claim.
It’s also vital to dutifully follow your doctor’s orders after an accident. An insurance company can claim your injuries aren’t as bad as you’re claiming if you’re not following doctors’ orders. They can also claim your injuries aren’t improving as quickly as they should since you’re not following doctors’ orders. Both of these claims allow insurers to devalue or deny your claim.
Document Everything
Document all accident-related expenses, including bills, receipts and lost pay stubs.
Keep a daily journal noting your pain levels and limitations throughout your recovery.
Things to Avoid
Don’t talk to the at-fault driver’s insurance company before you speak with a lawyer. Especially don’t give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer.
Insurance adjusters are trained to trick injury victims into saying the wrong things so they can pay them less or nothing at all. Let a lawyer talk with the at-fault driver’s insurance company for you.
Don’t post about your accident or injuries on social media. Insurance companies monitor injury claimants’ social media accounts, looking for anything they can use to devalue or deny claims.
Contact a Lawyer
Contact a lawyer experienced in car accident and personal injury law for a free case evaluation before you accept any settlement offer.
What a Car Accident Attorney Can Do for You
Having an experienced personal injury attorney can greatly improve your chances of securing a fair settlement.
An attorney can provide personalized legal advice and guide you through the complicated legal process.
An attorney can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf, gather evidence, and represent your interests in court if necessary.
An attorney can handle all parts of the negotiation process with the insurance company, ensuring you are not taken advantage of.
An experienced personal injury attorney will look deeper into the facts, identify issues, and fight to protect your rights.
An attorney can gather and analyze accurate records, medical reports, and other critical evidence to strengthen your claim.
FAQs
Do I Need a Lawyer to Get a Fair Settlement?
Yes.
California law mandates that insurers of drivers at fault for accidents pay those injured in the accidents up to policy limits for any damages the injured have suffered.
However, this law is only enforceable through the civil court system. In other words, if an insurance company refuses to pay an injury victim what they’re entitled to, the only way the law can be enforced is via the injury victim suing the insurance company.
Insurance companies can afford very good lawyers to defend them in court. So, you need an experienced car accident lawyer if you want to take them on in court and win.
Insurance companies won’t offer fair settlements to injury victims without lawyers because they know they don’t have to. They know they don’t have to since they know the injury victims can’t sue them and win over a low ball offer.
In other words, you’ll never see anything but low ball offers from the at-fault party’s insurance company if you don’t have a lawyer.
Numerous studies and surveys have shown the benefits of hiring a lawyer after being injured in a car accident:
- A Martindale-Nolo survey found that injury victims that hire lawyers recover almost three times as much money as those who don’t hire lawyers, even after attorney fees are taken into account.
- That same survey also found that injury victims recover compensation at a 91 percent rate when they hire lawyers and at a 51 percent rate when they don’t.
- The National Center for State Courts found that injury victims recover compensation at an 84 percent rate when they hire lawyers and at a 56 percent rate when they don’t.
- A 2019 study found that accident injury victims who hire lawyers recover 31 percent additional compensation compared to those who don’t.
- According to an Insurance Research Council survey, injury victims recover compensation in an average of 10 months when they hire a lawyer and in an average of 18 months when they don’t.
What Percentage Does a Lawyer Take from a Settlement?
The industry standard for car accident lawyers is as follows:
- 33 or 33 1/3 percent for cases which settle out of court without the need for litigation
- 40 percent for cases which require a lawsuit or a trial
The increase from 33 percent to 40 percent is due to the extra costs associated with litigation.
Car accident lawyers like the lawyers at our firm typically work on a contingency fee basis. This means:
- No fee is charged until your case is won
- No fee is charged if no recovery is obtained
- No upfront or out-of-pocket fees are charged
- The only fee charged is a percentage of any recovery obtained
How Accurate Is a Car Accident Settlement Calculator?
Calculators serve as starting points for negotiation but do not guarantee final settlement amounts, which are subject to adjustment by insurance companies.
Online tools like personal injury calculators provide a rough estimate but cannot fully account for the unique details of your case.
Consulting with an experienced attorney is essential for a more accurate assessment of a personal injury claim’s value.
How Is Fault Factored Into a Settlement?
Cases involving very clear liability may be worth more than cases involving disputed or unclear liability.
Comparative fault laws come into play when more than one party is at fault for an accident.
Comparative Fault
Comparative fault laws allow for a reduction in compensation based on the injured party’s share of fault in the accident.
California uses comparative negligence laws to handle personal injury claims, allowing compensation if you are not 100% responsible for the accident.
In California, the comparative fault rule means your settlement amount can be reduced based on your percentage of fault in the accident.
If you are 20% responsible for a car accident in California, your total compensation would be reduced by 20%.
Will I Pay Taxes on a Settlement?
Some, but not all of your settlement may be taxable.
Different damage types might or might not be taxable.
Compensation For Physical Injury
If your car accident settlement includes financial compensation for physical injuries and you did not take an itemized deduction for your medical bills in previous years, your compensation for physical injuries is not taxable, according to the IRS.
If you deducted medical expenses in previous years and receive a settlement for your injuries, though, you need to include in reported income the portion of the settlement which is for medical bills that you previously deducted, to the extent those deductions gave you any tax benefit.
If your settlement covers any medical bills you paid over a period of over a year, you’ll have to provide a pro-rata allocation for the part of the settlement relating to medical bills for every year you paid medical costs.
Compensation For Mental Anguish and Emotional Distress
Compensation for emotional distress or mental anguish caused by physical injury is not taxable.
However, if you were compensated for emotional distress or mental anguish which was not caused by physical injury, that compensation is taxable. However, the amount you’ll need to classify as income will get reduced by:
- How much you paid for medical costs caused by emotional distress or mental anguish which wasn’t previously deducted
- Medical costs which have been deducted previously relating to emotional distress and anguish which didn’t provide a tax benefit
Compensation For Lost Wages
The IRS as well as the State of California consider compensation for lost wages to be taxable.
Interest on Your Settlement
Interest on your settlement is considered to be “interest income” and is taxable.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are taxable and should get reported as “other income.”
Compensation for Property Damage
Compensation for property damage, like damage to your automobile, is typically non-taxable.
However, should you receive damages for reduction in property value, and you receive more than the value of your property, you’ll have to report the difference as income which is taxable.
How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take?
Car accident settlements usually take 3-12 months when cases are straightforward.
Complicated claims with disputed liability or severe injuries may take over one year.
Simple claims could settle as quickly as within a few weeks. Cases that require lawsuits may take three years or longer to settle.
Key factors which affect the timeline include:
- Medical treatment
- Case complexity
- Insurance cooperation
- If a lawsuit is filed
Do Insurance Companies Usually Settle?
Yes.
Insurance companies usually settle with injury victims who aren’t represented by lawyers. These settlements are usually tiny compared to the actual value of the injury victims’ claims.
The vast majority of our cases, as well, settle out of court, but for the full value of our clients’ claims. This is because insurance companies would rather settle out of court for the full value of our clients’ claims than take us on in court, lose, and have to pay the full value anyways in addition to expensive legal fees.
What Not to Say to the Insurance Adjuster?
You should not say anything to the at-fault party’s insurance adjuster. That adjuster is trained to manipulate you into saying things they can use to devalue or deny your claim.
You should, instead, let an experienced car accident attorney handle all communications with the at-fault party’s insurer for you.
Should I Accept the First Settlement Offer?
If you aren’t represented by a lawyer when you receive the first offer, no, you should not.
Insurance companies’ settlement offers to injury victims who aren’t represented by lawyers are virtually always very small compared to the actual value of the injury victims’ cases.
If you are represented by a lawyer when you receive the first offer, your lawyer will let you know if the settlement offer is worth accepting or not.
What Are Common Settlement Mistakes?
Common settlement mistakes include:
- Rushing the process, like accepting settlement offers before thoroughly evaluating claims and injuries
- Discussing pre-existing injuries, apologizing or admitting to fault with an adjuster
- Neglecting treatment plans or skipping doctor appointments
- Posting about accidents or injuries on social media
- Giving recorded statements to insurance adjusters
- Failing to document evidence by taking pictures and getting witness information
- Attempting to negotiate with an insurance company without the representation of a lawyer
Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys Today
Call us today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one was in an auto accident and was injured or killed. We can help you recover financial compensation and you’ll never owe us a single penny out of your own pocket for our representation.
Why Accident Victims Trust Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
- We have been successfully handling car accident cases since 1990.
- Our legal team is responsive, providing 24/7 availability, frequent case updates and reliable communication.
- We offer free consultations and contingency fee representation, so you won’t owe us anything until we win your case.
- Our comprehensive resources allow us to take on the biggest defendants and most complicated cases and win.
- We have a high-stakes litigation team with experience handling the biggest cases.
- Our legal team is ready to go to trial for you, so we’ll fight to recover the full value of your claim and won’t settle for a quick, low-ball settlement.
- We and our legal teams have recovered over $750,000,000 for clients.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. All cases are unique and results depend on cases’ specific facts.
Call us today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658.
