Methodology & Sources
The calculator is a hypothetical arithmetic exercise, not a settlement prediction or legal valuation. It runs in your browser using the values you choose. Starting amounts and the default multiplier are examples, not observed settlements or recommended inputs.
Calculation
- Add past and assumed future medical costs; separately add past and assumed future lost earnings.
- Multiply the medical-cost total by your chosen hypothetical multiplier to illustrate pain and suffering. Add that figure to medical costs and lost earnings.
- Reduce the subtotal by your assumed fault percentage, then subtract your chosen attorney-fee percentage from the amount after that reduction.
For example, medical costs of $20,000, lost earnings of $8,000, and a 3× multiplier produce a $88,000 subtotal. With an assumed 10% fault reduction and a 20% fee on the remainder, the example result is $63,360. These inputs and percentages are illustrative, not typical or appropriate for a particular claim. Displayed amounts are rounded to whole dollars; calculations use the unrounded values.
What the model cannot determine
There is no universal multiplier or formula for pain and suffering. Rules for fault can differ or bar recovery altogether. Fee agreements may calculate fees differently. The model omits insurance limits, disputed liability, property damage, litigation expenses, liens or reimbursements, and other damages and legal rules. Future expenses and earnings are uncertain. Its output is not a reliable take-home amount or estimate of an actual award.
Sources
The calculator does not use a settlement database, market statistics, or public legal data to set its assumptions. Our limitations guide links directly to the New York statute, New Jersey courts, and legal-help resources for the specific claims made there. The arithmetic model itself does not determine any legal deadline.