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What could my car accident claim be worth?
Adjusters often start with the multiplier method: your medical bills times 1.5 to 5 for pain and suffering, plus the bills and your lost pay. This calculator does that, then applies the two state rules that move the number most: your share of fault and the other driver's minimum insurance.
Multiplier range: Sacramento County Public Law Library · state rules quoted from statutes, checked October 2, 2026
What being partly at fault does to a $50,000 claim
The same claim under each state's rule, at 25% and at 51% of the blame. Computed from the rule in each state's statute; it ignores insurance limits.
| State | Rule | 25% at fault | 51% at fault | Other driver's minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | contributory | $0 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Alaska | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $50,000 |
| Arizona | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| Arkansas | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| California | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $30,000 |
| Colorado | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Connecticut | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Delaware | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| District of Columbia | contributory | $0 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Florida | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | none required |
| Georgia | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Hawaii | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $40,000 |
| Idaho | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Illinois | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Indiana | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Iowa | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $20,000 |
| Kansas | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Kentucky | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| Louisiana | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $15,000 |
| Maine | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $50,000 |
| Maryland | contributory | $0 | $0 | $30,000 |
| Massachusetts | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Michigan | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $50,000 |
| Minnesota | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $30,000 |
| Mississippi | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| Missouri | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| Montana | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Nebraska | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Nevada | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| New Hampshire | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| New Jersey | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $35,000 |
| New Mexico | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| New York | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| North Carolina | contributory | $0 | $0 | $50,000 |
| North Dakota | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Ohio | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Oklahoma | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Oregon | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Pennsylvania | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $15,000 |
| Rhode Island | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| South Carolina | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| South Dakota | slight/gross comparison | see state | see state | $25,000 |
| Tennessee | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Texas | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $30,000 |
| Utah | modified comparative (50% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $30,000 |
| Vermont | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Virginia | contributory | $0 | $0 | $50,000 |
| Washington | pure comparative | $37,500 | $24,500 | $25,000 |
| West Virginia | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Wisconsin | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
| Wyoming | modified comparative (51% bar) | $37,500 | $0 | $25,000 |
How the estimate works
1. Add up medical bills, past and expected. 2. Multiply them by 1.5 for a minor injury up to 5 for a severe or permanent one; that is the pain-and-suffering figure. The Sacramento County Public Law Library puts it this way: "many insurance companies and attorneys multiply the amount of medical special damages by a factor of 1.5 to 5, depending on the severity of the injuries." The four injury levels above are our split of that range. 3. Add the bills, the pain-and-suffering figure and lost pay. 4. Reduce by your share of fault under your state's rule. 5. Compare with the other driver's coverage.
Vehicle damage is a separate property claim and isn't included. For the value a repaired car loses, use the diminished value calculator. Injury settlements are mostly tax-free under federal law, with exceptions: see the settlement tax calculator.
Questions
How do insurers value pain and suffering?
A common starting point is the multiplier method: medical bills times a factor from 1.5 to 5, higher for more severe injuries, added to the bills and lost income. The Sacramento County Public Law Library describes the same range. Adjusters then argue over the multiplier, your share of fault and whether treatment was necessary.
Why does my state change the number?
Two state rules move it the most. The partial-fault rule decides how much you lose if you were partly to blame, and in a few states any fault at all can bar recovery. The other driver's policy limit caps what their insurer will usually pay; above it, the money has to come from your own underinsured coverage or the driver personally.
Is this what my case is worth?
No. It is a rough range from a common method, not a prediction. Real settlements depend on evidence, medical records, the insurer and the lawyer. It cannot tell you whether an offer is fair. Use it to see how fault and the other driver's coverage change a number.