What goes into your claim's value
Injury claims are built from two kinds of damages. Economic damages are the costs you can add up: medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and out-of-pocket expenses. Non-economic damages cover the harder-to-measure harm: pain, suffering, and the ways the injury has changed your daily life.
Your economic damages form the foundation. The more thoroughly they are documented, with records and bills, the stronger the base your claim is built on.
How pain and suffering is estimated
Because non-economic harm has no receipt, adjusters and attorneys often estimate it with the multiplier method: multiplying your economic damages by a figure, commonly between 1.5 and 5, that reflects how serious and lasting the injury is. A soft-tissue injury that fully heals sits near the bottom. A permanent or catastrophic injury sits near the top.
It is a starting point, not a promise. The final number is negotiated from the evidence, the insurance policy limits, and your state's rules on fault and damages.
What raises and lowers the value
Consistent medical treatment, clear documentation, strong liability, serious or permanent injuries, and higher policy limits all push value up. Treatment gaps, shared fault, low policy limits, and early recorded statements push it down. One of the most common mistakes is accepting a quick offer before the full cost of the injury is known.
