New Jersey Personal Injury Calculator: How Much is My Case Worth?

CALCULATATE YOUR POTENTIAL PERSONAL INJURY PAYOUTS

Calculating pain and suffering damages after an accident is one of the most nebulous areas in personal injury lawsuits. But understanding the actual value of your pain and suffering damages will let you know when an offer from the defendant or their insurance company is truly fair compensation for the full extent of your injuries and their effects on your life. 

The following is a guide to help you quickly and easily figure out a rough estimate for how much your case is worth, using our free pain and suffering calculator. This calculator is highly accurate and will help you receive the maximum settlement that you deserve against the party at fault. 

Pain and Suffering Settlement Amount Calculator

The total amount of your settlement will equal your pain and suffering x medical expenses + loss of income. Let’s take a closer look at all these parts individually:

• Medical expenses: Medical expenses will include things like hospital bills, surgeries, x-rays or other imaging tests, ambulance rides, lab tests, medications, mobility devices (such as wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches), and any rehabilitation such as physical or occupational therapy that your healthcare provider refers you to.

• Lost income: This can refer to lost wages, such as days missed from work, or lost earning potential, if your injuries are severe enough that you cannot return to your former place of employment. 

• Pain and suffering multiplier: Pain and suffering damages usually fall in the range of a multiplier that is between 1.5 and 5 percent. These damages include emotional distress, and inconveniences to your activities of daily living. 

Examples Using the Pain and Suffering Multiplier

Here’s an example of how to use this formula to calculate your total damages.

Your minor car accident, caused by another driver’s negligence, resulted in $3000 in total medical expenses, and you missed 3 days of work, costing you $450. Using the personal injury formula above, first:

• Add medical expenses and lost income, for a total of $3450.
• Multiply $3450 X 1.5, for a total of $5175 at the low end of the potential claim.
• Multiply $3450 X 5 for a total of $17,250 at the high end of the potential claim.
• For a serious injury, such as disfigurement, the claim is likely to be closer to in between 5 and 10 percent, meaning the range would shift to $17,250 at the low end and $34,500 at the high end.

While this calculator can give you a good idea of the type of settlement you should expect to see, only an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you get the maximum settlement possible for a serious injury that involves pain and suffering damages.

How to Document Pain and Suffering

So what exactly do pain and suffering damages encompass? Your injuries may result in a decrease in your ability to perform activities of daily life, such as taking care of household responsibilities, caring for dependents, or pursuing hobbies you enjoy. One of the best ways to log the impact pain and suffering have on your life is to keep a daily pain and suffering log. 

Take time every day to document the ways in which your injuries have affected your lifestyle, as well as your emotional well-being. Keep track of physical pain that you experience as a result of the accident, as well as stress and mental health issues that result from your injuries. Documenting things you are no longer able to do, like going for a nightly walk with your family, are also important things to write in this log. 

The Most Accurate Way to Calculate Pain and Suffering

The only way to get a truly accurate pain and suffering amount is to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer. Remember, insurance companies will do everything possible to give you the lowest settlement they can. Your personal injury attorney will advocate on your behalf and help you receive the fair amount to compensate you for the suffering and pain you have experienced as a result of your injuries. 

The lawyers at Richard Hollawell can quickly help you come up with an accurate pain and suffering settlement amount, and put together a case to bring to the guilty party’s insurance company. Call us for your free consultation at 1-800-681-3550 or use the contact form to speak to us today.