Personal Injury Settlement Calculator — California

How California Personal Injury Settlements Are Calculated

California follows the special damages + general damages framework. Special damages are your out-of-pocket economic losses: medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage. General damages are non-economic: pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.

The most common method is the multiplier method: add up all special damages, then multiply by a factor between 1.5 and 10 depending on injury severity. A $30,000 medical bill with a 3× multiplier produces a $90,000 pain and suffering estimate, for a total claim of $120,000. Insurance companies use software like Colossus to generate their own multiplier — which is why their first offer is almost always low.

California Settlement Ranges by Injury Type

• Whiplash / soft tissue: $15,000–$50,000
• Broken bones: $50,000–$150,000
• Herniated disc (no surgery): $75,000–$200,000
• Herniated disc (surgery required): $150,000–$500,000
• Traumatic brain injury (mild): $100,000–$500,000
• Traumatic brain injury (severe): $500,000–$3M+
• Spinal cord injury: $1M–$5M+
• Wrongful death: $500,000–$3M+

Factors That Increase Your Settlement Value

• Clear liability (defendant ran a red light, DUI, rear-end at a stop)
• Documented medical treatment starting within 72 hours of the accident
• Consistent treatment with no unexplained gaps
• Objective evidence of injury (MRI findings, surgical records)
• Lost wages with employer documentation
• Permanent impairment rating from a treating physician
• High policy limits (commercial vehicles, Uber/Lyft, trucking companies)