Estimate potential personal injury settlements using the Multiplier and Per Diem methods.
Includes hospital stays, therapy, medication, and future medical costs.
Income lost due to injury plus repairs to vehicle/property.
1.5 = Minor injury (sprain), 5.0 = Severe/Permanent (trauma).
A reasonable daily value for your suffering (often your daily wage).
Number of days from injury until maximum medical improvement.
Method 1: Multiplier Estimate
$0.00
Based on Total Economic Damages × Multiplier
Method 2: Per Diem Estimate
$0.00
Based on Daily Rate × Days Suffered + Economic Damages
* Note: These figures are estimates only. Actual settlement amounts depend on insurance policy limits, liability percentage, and jurisdiction. Consult an attorney for legal advice.
Understanding Pain and Suffering Calculations
In personal injury law, "pain and suffering" refers to the physical distress and emotional trauma a victim endures due to an accident. Unlike medical bills or lost wages (known as economic damages), pain and suffering are non-economic damages. Because there is no specific receipt or invoice for pain, attorneys and insurance adjusters use mathematical formulas to calculate a starting point for negotiations.
1. The Multiplier Method
The Multiplier Method is the most common approach used by insurance companies. It involves totaling the economic damages (medical bills, property damage, lost earnings) and multiplying that sum by a number typically between 1.5 and 5.
1.5 to 2.5: Usually applied to minor injuries with quick recoveries (e.g., sprains, minor whiplash).
3.0 to 4.0: Applied to serious injuries requiring surgery, long-term therapy, or causing significant lifestyle disruption (e.g., broken bones, severe concussion).
5.0+: Reserved for catastrophic, permanent injuries (e.g., paralysis, brain damage, loss of limb).
2. The Per Diem (Daily Rate) Method
The Per Diem method assigns a specific dollar amount to every day you suffered from the injury until you reached "Maximum Medical Improvement" (MMI). This daily rate is often equivalent to the victim's actual daily earnings, under the logic that the pain of recovery is at least as valuable as the work done in a day.
Note: This method is rarely used for permanent injuries, as the calculation would result in astronomically high figures over a lifetime.
Factors That Increase Settlement Value
While the calculator provides a baseline, several factors can progressively increase the value of a pain and suffering claim:
Credibility of the Victim: A consistent medical record and honest testimony are crucial.
Visibility of Injury: Scarring, disfigurement, or use of mobility aids tends to result in higher compensation.
Impact on Daily Life: Inability to perform hobbies, care for children, or maintain relationships (loss of consortium).
Nature of Accident: Cases involving gross negligence (like drunk driving) may sometimes trigger punitive damages, though these are separate from pain and suffering.
Example Calculation
Let's assume a scenario where a victim suffers a broken leg in a car accident:
Medical Bills: $15,000
Lost Wages: $5,000
Total Economic Damages: $20,000
Severity: Moderate (Multiplier of 3.0)
Recovery Time: 120 Days
Daily Wage: $200
Multiplier Method: ($20,000 × 3.0) + $20,000 = $80,000 Total Settlement (where $60,000 is for pain and suffering).
Per Diem Method: ($200 × 120 Days) + $20,000 = $44,000 Total Settlement (where $24,000 is for pain and suffering).
In this scenario, the attorney would likely argue for the Multiplier method, while the insurance adjuster might prefer a calculation closer to the Per Diem figure.
Why "Progressive"?
Pain and suffering is often viewed progressively. The acute pain immediately following an accident is often weighted more heavily than the dull ache months later. While these calculators use linear formulas, effective legal negotiation often involves demonstrating the progression of pain and how it alters the victim's life trajectory.
function calculateSettlement() {
// 1. Get Input Values
var medicalBills = parseFloat(document.getElementById('medicalBills').value);
var lostWages = parseFloat(document.getElementById('lostWages').value);
var multiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById('multiplier').value);
var dailyRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dailyRate').value);
var daysSuffered = parseFloat(document.getElementById('daysSuffered').value);
// 2. Validate Inputs (Treat NaNs as 0 for calculation safety, but ensure we have basics)
if (isNaN(medicalBills)) medicalBills = 0;
if (isNaN(lostWages)) lostWages = 0;
if (isNaN(multiplier)) multiplier = 1.5; // Default low multiplier
if (isNaN(dailyRate)) dailyRate = 0;
if (isNaN(daysSuffered)) daysSuffered = 0;
// 3. Calculate Economic Damages (Hard Costs)
var economicDamages = medicalBills + lostWages;
// 4. METHOD 1: Multiplier Method Calculation
// Formula: (Economic Damages * Multiplier) + Economic Damages
// Note: Sometimes people calculate just the Pain/Suffering portion,
// but a settlement usually includes reimbursement of costs + the extra.
// We will display the TOTAL settlement value.
var painPortionMultiplier = economicDamages * multiplier;
// However, usually the 'multiplier' is applied to the special damages to GET the general damages.
// So if bills are 10k, and multiplier is 3, general damages are 30k. Total is 40k.
// Some simplistic definitions say "Total = Bills x 3", but the legal standard is usually "General = Special x Multiplier".
// We will use the standard: General Damages = Economic * Multiplier.
var totalMultiplierMethod = economicDamages + painPortionMultiplier;
// 5. METHOD 2: Per Diem Method Calculation
// Formula: (Days * Daily Rate) + Economic Damages
var painPortionPerDiem = daysSuffered * dailyRate;
var totalPerDiemMethod = economicDamages + painPortionPerDiem;
// 6. Formatting Function
function formatCurrency(num) {
return '$' + num.toFixed(2).replace(/\d(?=(\d{3})+\.)/g, '$&,');
}
// 7. Update DOM
document.getElementById('multiplierResult').innerText = formatCurrency(totalMultiplierMethod);
document.getElementById('perDiemResult').innerText = formatCurrency(totalPerDiemMethod);
// 8. Show Results
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('ppsResult');
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
// Scroll to results
resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth' });
}