Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · Figures reviewed against the Judicial College Guidelines
How a settlement amount is built
A personal injury settlement is never a single round number an insurer plucks from the air. It is assembled from two clearly defined parts, and once you understand them you can sense-check any figure you are offered.
1. General damages — the injury
This compensates you for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the injury itself. In England & Wales these are valued from the Judicial College Guidelines, which set a range for every body part and severity; small whiplash claims use a fixed statutory tariff instead. In the US there is no national table, so typical published settlement ranges are used. See general damages explained.
2. Special damages — your financial losses
On top of the injury value you recover money you actually lost: lost earnings, treatment, care and assistance, travel, and future losses such as ongoing care or reduced earning capacity. See special damages explained and general vs special damages.
What raises or lowers your settlement
Two people with the "same" injury can settle for very different amounts. The drivers are:
- Severity and duration — how serious the injury is and how long symptoms last or are expected to last.
- Medical evidence — a clear medico-legal report with a firm prognosis supports a higher, defensible figure. See medical evidence for a claim.
- Financial losses — the bigger and better-documented your special damages, the larger the total.
- Fault — being partly to blame reduces the award through contributory negligence. See what happens if you are partly at fault.
- Jurisdiction and policy limits — the state or country, and (in the US) the at-fault party's insurance limits, can cap what is realistically recoverable.
For more detail see factors that affect compensation and how much is my injury claim worth?
How to negotiate a fair settlement
Insurers settle thousands of claims and you are settling one — so the playing field is uneven unless you prepare. The core principles:
- Do not settle until your prognosis is clear. Settling early, while symptoms are still developing, is the most common way claimants lose money.
- Know your bracket. Use the calculator and the published ranges so you can recognise a low offer when you see one.
- Treat the first offer as an opening, not a verdict. Opening offers are frequently below the true value — read should I accept the first offer?
- Document every loss. Payslips, receipts and a care diary turn vague "losses" into recoverable special damages.
- Decide settle vs court deliberately. Most claims settle; court is a last resort when value or liability is genuinely disputed. See settlement vs going to court.
Estimate your settlement by injury or accident
Pick the calculator that matches your injury or accident. Each one applies the same method — injury value plus financial losses — and switches between US $ settlement ranges and UK £ compensation.
How much is my claim worth?
The headline question, answered with a working calculator.
Value my claim →Car accident calculator
Estimate a car crash settlement from your injury and losses.
Car calculator →Work accident calculator
Estimate an accident-at-work claim against an employer.
Work calculator →How payouts are calculated
The full methodology behind every estimate on this site.
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How much is my personal injury claim worth?
Your claim is worth the injury value (general damages) plus your financial losses (special damages). General damages come from published brackets — the Judicial College Guidelines in the UK, or typical settlement ranges in the US — for your specific injury and severity. Use a calculator with your exact injury rather than relying on a headline average.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
Usually not without checking it against the bracket value for your injury. Insurers commonly open below the true range, hoping for a quick, cheap settlement before your prognosis is clear. Compare any offer with the calculator estimate, and never settle while symptoms are still developing.
What affects how much compensation I get?
The type and severity of injury, how long symptoms last, the strength of your medical evidence, your financial losses, who was at fault (contributory negligence reduces the award), and the jurisdiction. Future losses such as ongoing care or reduced earning capacity can dominate serious claims.
Is it better to settle or go to court?
The large majority of claims settle out of court, which is faster, cheaper and less stressful. Court is usually a last resort when liability or value is genuinely disputed. A reasonable settlement that reflects the bracket value plus your losses is normally preferable to the cost and uncertainty of a hearing.