California Personal Injury Settlement Calculator

What Is the California Personal Injury Settlement Calculator?

The California Personal Injury Settlement Calculator is an interactive tool that estimates how much money you could recover from a personal injury claim under California law.

It combines your:

• Economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage)
• Non-economic damages (pain, suffering, emotional distress)
• Percentage of fault
• Attorney’s fee
• Insurance policy limits

The calculator uses all this data to give you:

• Your estimated total settlement
• A breakdown of damages
• Your likely net recovery (what you might actually receive after deductions)

Why This Calculator Matters in California

California follows a “pure comparative negligence” rule. That means your final compensation is reduced by your share of fault — even if you were 99% responsible, you can still recover 1% of your damages.

Example:
If your total damages are $100,000 and you’re 20% at fault, your recovery drops to $80,000.

This rule makes it critical to understand how your fault percentage affects your potential settlement. The calculator helps visualize that impact in seconds.

How the Calculator Works

The calculator uses a straightforward formula that mirrors how many attorneys estimate settlement values during negotiations.

Here’s how it processes your inputs:

1. Add Up Economic Damages
   Medical expenses + lost wages + property damage = your economic damages.
2. Estimate Non-Economic Damages
   Based on injury severity, a multiplier is applied (from 1.5 for minor injuries to 4.5 for severe injuries).
   • Minor injuries → smaller multiplier
   • Severe or lasting injuries → higher multiplier
3. Apply Fault Reduction
   If you share any blame, your total is reduced by your percentage of fault.
4. Account for Policy Limits
   If the at-fault party’s insurance has a limit (say $100,000), the settlement can’t exceed that amount.
5. Deduct Attorney Fees and Costs
   The calculator subtracts attorney fees (typically 33%–40%) and any case costs or liens you must repay.
6. Show Your Net Recovery
   The result? A clean, realistic estimate of what could end up in your pocket.

Example Calculation

Let’s say:

• Medical expenses: $15,000
• Lost wages: $5,000
• Property damage: $8,000
• Injury severity: Moderate (3.0 multiplier)
• Fault: 10%
• Attorney fee: 33.3%
• Case costs: $2,500

The calculator runs the math:

Economic damages: $28,000
Non-economic damages: ($15,000 + $5,000) × 3.0 = $60,000
Total before fault: $88,000
Minus 10% fault: $79,200
Minus attorney fee & costs: about $49,300 net recovery

You instantly see a realistic snapshot — no guessing, no hidden math.

Key Features of the Calculator

Realistic Calculations: Mirrors how settlements are commonly estimated in personal injury law.
User-Friendly Interface: Simple fields and dropdowns for each key factor.
Transparent Breakdown: See exactly how numbers add up.
Built-In Legal Logic: Considers California’s unique comparative fault and insurance limit rules.

Important Legal Notes

• Comparative negligence: Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
• No general damage caps: Most California personal injury cases don’t have a limit, except for medical malpractice.
• Policy limits matter: If the at-fault party’s insurance is capped, it can restrict what you can collect.
• Attorney involvement: A lawyer can often negotiate higher settlements that offset their fee.

The calculator gives you a starting point, but it’s not a substitute for professional legal advice.

Why Use It Before Talking to a Lawyer

Before contacting an attorney, using the California Personal Injury Settlement Calculator helps you:

• Understand what’s realistic for your case
• Prepare smarter questions
• Avoid being blindsided by deductions
• Get a feel for how fault and damages interact

It turns complex legal math into a clear, visual estimate — empowering you to make informed decisions about your next step.