Settlement Value Estimator
Estimates the potential settlement range for a personal injury or civil lawsuit based on economic damages, non-economic damages, liability percentage, and case-specific risk factors.
1 = minor injury, 5 = catastrophic/permanent injury
Reduces award under comparative negligence rules
Formula
1. Economic Damages = Medical Expenses + Lost Wages + Property Damages
2. Non-Economic Damages = Medical Expenses × Pain & Suffering Multiplier (1–5)
3. Punitive Damages = Economic Damages × 2 (only if egregious conduct applies)
4. Gross Verdict = Economic + Non-Economic + Punitive
5. Net Verdict = Gross Verdict × (1 − Plaintiff Liability %)
6. Expected Value = Net Verdict × Case Win Probability
7. Settlement Range = Expected Value × 60% (low) to × 85% (high)
8. Net to Plaintiff = Settlement × (1 − Attorney Contingency Fee %)
Assumptions & References
- Pain & suffering multiplier (1–5×) applied to medical expenses is the standard industry method used by insurers and plaintiff attorneys (Jury Verdict Research; RAND Institute for Civil Justice).
- Defendants typically settle at 60%–85% of the expected trial value to avoid litigation costs and verdict uncertainty (Viscusi, W.K., "The Determinants of the Disposition of Product Liability Claims," 1988).
- Comparative negligence reduction follows the pure comparative fault rule; some states use modified comparative fault (bar at 50% or 51%).
- Punitive damages estimated at 2× economic damages — a conservative figure; the U.S. Supreme Court in State Farm v. Campbell (2003) suggested single-digit ratios are generally constitutional.
- Case strength probability reflects likelihood of prevailing at trial based on evidence quality and liability clarity.
- Attorney contingency fees typically range from 25%–40% depending on case stage and jurisdiction (ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5).
- This tool does not account for policy limits, structured settlements, liens, or jurisdiction-specific damage caps.
- Not legal advice. Consult a licensed personal injury attorney for case-specific guidance.