Louisiana Personal Injury Settlement Calculator

What the Louisiana Personal Injury Settlement Calculator Does

This calculator uses real-world legal and financial logic to estimate the total value of your injury claim.
It considers both economic and non-economic damages, applies Louisiana’s comparative fault rule, and even accounts for attorney fees and insurance policy limits.

The calculator is designed to give you a realistic, data-based estimate — not just a random number.
It uses inputs you control to simulate what might happen if your case went to settlement.

How to Use the Calculator

The Louisiana Personal Injury Settlement Calculator has an easy layout with labeled fields. Here’s how each part works:

1. Enter Your Percentage of Fault

Louisiana follows a pure comparative fault system.
That means even if you’re partly at fault, you can still recover damages — but your award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example:

• If your damages total $100,000
• And you’re 20% at fault
• You’d recover $80,000.

Just enter your percentage (0–99) in the first box.

2. Add Your Economic Damages

Economic damages include all financial losses related to your injury, such as:

• Medical Expenses (past and future)
• Lost Wages (past and future)
• Property Damage (like your car or personal belongings)

These are added up to form your economic base.

3. Select Injury Severity

Not all injuries are equal — and neither are settlements.
This is where non-economic damages (like pain, suffering, and emotional distress) come in.

The calculator uses a multiplier based on your injury severity:

• Minor Injuries: 1.5× multiplier
• Moderate Injuries: 3.0× multiplier
• Severe Injuries: 4.5× multiplier

This multiplier applies to your total medical and wage losses to estimate compensation for pain and suffering.

4. Add Policy Limits (Optional)

If the at-fault driver or party has a policy limit — say $100,000 — the calculator caps your estimate at that amount.
This is a crucial real-world factor since insurance coverage often limits what you can actually recover.

5. Include Attorney Fees and Costs

If you hire a personal injury lawyer, they usually work on a contingency fee, meaning they take a percentage of your final settlement.

Typical Louisiana fees:

• 33.3% before filing a lawsuit
• 40% after litigation begins

You can select the appropriate fee from the dropdown list.
There’s also a field for case costs and medical liens — any amounts you may owe for filing fees, expert witnesses, or repaying your doctors.

The calculator subtracts these to show your estimated net recovery — what could actually end up in your pocket.

How the Calculator Estimates Your Settlement

Behind the scenes, the formula works like this:

1. Economic Damages = Medical Expenses + Lost Wages + Property Damage
2. Non-Economic Damages = (Medical + Lost Wages) × Severity Multiplier
3. Total Damages = Economic + Non-Economic
4. Fault Reduction = Total Damages × (Your % of Fault ÷ 100)
5. Final Settlement = Total Damages − Fault Reduction
6. Attorney Fee = Final Settlement × Fee %
7. Net Recovery = Final Settlement − Attorney Fee − Case Costs

If a policy limit applies and your total exceeds it, the calculator automatically caps the result and lets you know it’s limited by insurance coverage.

Example: How the Math Works

Let’s say you enter:

• 10% Fault
• $15,000 in Medical Expenses
• $5,000 in Lost Wages
• $8,000 in Property Damage
• Moderate Injury Severity (3× multiplier)
• Attorney Fee: 33.3%
• Case Costs: $2,500

Here’s how the estimate would break down:

• Economic Damages = $28,000
• Non-Economic Damages = ($20,000 × 3.0) = $60,000
• Total = $88,000
• Minus 10% Fault = $79,200
• Attorney Fee = $26,376
• Case Costs = $2,500
• Net Recovery = $50,324

That’s your estimated take-home amount.

Why Louisiana’s Comparative Fault Rule Matters

Louisiana law uses pure comparative fault (Civil Code Article 2323).
That means you can recover damages even if you’re 99% at fault — but your recovery will be reduced by that percentage.

This rule ensures fairness, but it also means accuracy matters when estimating your case value.
The calculator helps you understand how fault percentages directly affect what you could receive.

Important Legal Notes

• This tool is for informational use only. It’s not legal advice.
• Louisiana does not cap compensatory damages in most personal injury cases.
• Settlement values can vary widely depending on the insurance coverage, evidence, medical records, and legal strategy.
• Always consult a Louisiana personal injury attorney before making any financial or legal decision about your case.

Why This Calculator Helps

Gives you a realistic estimate of your potential settlement.
Helps you understand how fault and fees affect your recovery.
Shows how injury severity impacts compensation.
Makes it easier to plan your next steps — whether that means negotiating or hiring an attorney.

It’s a smart starting point for anyone wondering, “What’s my personal injury case really worth in Louisiana?”