Massachusetts Personal Injury Settlement Calculator

What Is a Personal Injury Settlement Calculator?

A personal injury settlement calculator is a web-based tool that helps estimate the potential value of an injury claim.
It uses basic details like your medical bills, lost wages, and injury severity to generate a ballpark settlement amount.

The Massachusetts calculator takes it a step further by factoring in:

• The state’s comparative fault rule (you can only recover damages if you’re 50% or less at fault).
• Typical attorney’s fees and case costs.
• The at-fault party’s insurance policy limits, which can cap your recovery.

This makes the calculator uniquely accurate for Massachusetts law, where rules differ from other states.

How the Massachusetts Personal Injury Calculator Works

Here’s how the tool does its math — in plain English.

1. Input Your Key Details

The calculator asks for a few simple numbers:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages (past and future)
• Property damage (like your car repair or replacement cost)
• Your percentage of fault (between 0% and 50%)
• Injury severity (minor, moderate, or severe)
• Attorney fees and case costs
• (Optional) Insurance policy limit of the at-fault driver

Each factor plays a role in determining your estimated payout.

2. Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages

Once you enter your information, the calculator adds up two major types of damages:

• Economic Damages:
  Tangible costs like medical bills, therapy, prescriptions, lost wages, and property damage. Example: $15,000 medical bills + $5,000 lost wages + $8,000 property damage = $28,000 economic damages.
• Non-Economic Damages:
  Pain, suffering, trauma, or loss of enjoyment of life.
  The calculator multiplies your medical and wage losses by a severity multiplier:
  • Minor injuries → 1.5x
  • Moderate injuries → 3x
  • Severe injuries → 4.5x
  Example: ($15,000 + $5,000) × 3 = $60,000 non-economic damages

3. Applying the Fault Rule

Massachusetts follows a modified comparative fault rule.
That means if you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by that percentage.

• If you were 10% at fault → you lose 10% of your total settlement.
• If you were 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.

Example: $88,000 total damages – 10% fault ($8,800) = $79,200 adjusted total

4. Adjusting for Insurance Limits

If the other driver’s insurance only covers $50,000, and your claim value is $79,200, your recovery is capped at $50,000—no matter how severe your losses.

The calculator automatically applies this cap if you input a policy limit.

5. Deducting Attorney Fees and Case Costs

Most Massachusetts personal injury lawyers charge:

• 33.3% if the case settles before litigation, or
• 40% if it goes to court.

The calculator subtracts that fee and any case costs or medical liens (money you owe for medical treatment).

Example:
$50,000 capped settlement
– $16,650 attorney fee (33.3%)
– $2,500 case costs
= $30,850 estimated net recovery

This final number is what you might take home after all deductions.

Why This Calculator Matters

Understanding your estimated claim value helps you:
Set realistic expectations before speaking to an attorney.
Evaluate whether a settlement offer is fair.
Understand how your share of fault or policy limits affect your payout.
Make informed decisions about whether to hire a lawyer or proceed alone.

While this calculator gives a helpful estimate, remember—it’s not a substitute for real legal advice. Every case has unique factors like medical complications, long-term disability, and emotional distress that can raise or lower your actual settlement.

Key Features That Make This Calculator Stand Out

• Massachusetts-specific fault law: Built to reflect the state’s 51% bar rule.
• Simple user experience: No math, no legal jargon—just clear inputs and instant results.
• Breakdown of damages: Shows economic vs. non-economic totals.
• Attorney fee integration: Lets you see your real “take-home” number.
• Realistic fault and policy limits: Adds practical realism to your estimate.

Example Scenario

Let’s say you were rear-ended in Boston:

• $20,000 medical expenses
• $6,000 lost wages
• $4,000 property damage
• Moderate injuries (multiplier: 3x)
• 20% at fault
• Attorney fee: 33.3%

Here’s what the calculator would do:

1. Economic damages = $30,000
2. Non-economic damages = ($20,000 + $6,000) × 3 = $78,000
3. Total = $108,000
4. Less 20% fault = $86,400
5. Less 33.3% attorney fee = $28,800
6. Final estimate = $57,600 net recovery

That’s the kind of transparency this tool provides—fast, visual, and easy to understand.

Important Legal Disclaimer

This calculator gives an estimate, not an exact settlement value.
It is not legal advice and does not replace a professional attorney’s assessment.

Massachusetts uses a modified comparative fault system (51% bar rule):

• You can recover damages only if you’re 50% or less at fault.
• If you’re 51% or more, you get nothing.

Always consult with a qualified Massachusetts personal injury lawyer for accurate, case-specific advice.