"What is my claim worth?" is usually the first question after the medical bills start arriving. There is no fixed formula that applies to every case a jury in Hillsborough County Superior Court South could value two similar-looking crashes very differently depending on the facts but insurance adjusters and attorneys both start from the same two building blocks.

Here is how the estimate actually gets built, with the two most common methods laid out step by step: 

 

The Two Components of a Settlement

Every settlement estimate starts by separating your losses into two categories.

  • Economic damages: medical bills to date, estimated future medical care, lost income, and lost earning capacity losses with a receipt or a pay stub behind them.
  • Non-economic damages: pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and similar harm that has no invoice attached to it.

Economic damages are usually straightforward to add up. Non-economic damages are not, which is why two calculation methods have become standard starting points.

 

Method 1: The Multiplier Method

The multiplier method takes your total economic damages and multiplies them by a number typically between 1.5 and 5 based on how severe and how lasting the injury is. Minor, fully-healed injuries sit at the low end; permanent or catastrophic injuries sit at the high end.

Illustrative example only: say your medical bills and lost wages total $10,000, and the injury is a moderate soft-tissue injury with a full recovery; a multiplier of 3 might be used as a starting point. That would put pain and suffering at roughly $30,000, for a total estimated value around $40,000 before any adjustments for fault or policy limits.

 

Method 2: The Per Diem Method

The per diem ("per day") method assigns a dollar amount to each day you were affected by the injury, then multiplies that by the number of days of recovery often anchored to your daily rate of pay, on the reasoning that a day dealing with an injury is worth at least what a day of work is worth.

Illustrative example only: at a $150 daily rate over a 200-day recovery, pain and suffering would come to about $30,000. Combined with the same $10,000 in economic damages, that also lands around a $40,000 estimated value the two methods often converge for injuries with a clear, measurable recovery period.

 

Which Method Applies to Your Claim

The multiplier method tends to fit injuries with lasting or uncertain effects, where a flat daily rate would undervalue the harm. The per diem method tends to fit injuries with a well-defined recovery timeline. Insurance adjusters may lean toward whichever produces a lower number, which is one reason it helps to have both calculations ready before negotiating.

 

What Moves the Number Up or Down

Both methods only produce a starting estimate. What actually moves a claim's value in Hillsborough County includes:

  • How clearly liability is established a contested fault dispute lowers early settlement offers
  • The completeness and consistency of your medical records
  • The at-fault driver's insurance policy limits, which can cap what is actually recoverable regardless of the calculated value
  • Your own percentage of fault under New Hampshire's comparative negligence rule

These figures are illustrations of the math, not a projection of what any specific claim is worth; every case is different, and neither method guarantees a particular result. A Nashua car accident attorney can run both calculations against your actual medical records and policy limits to give you a real range.

 

Attorney David E. Buckley has handled New Hampshire injury claims for 30+ years, with a 4.9★ rating from over 250 clients. Call (603) 595-8801 for a free case review. Buckley Law Offices serves clients across Nashua and Hillsborough County.

ARTICLE FAQ

 

Q: What determines the settlement value of a Nashua car accident claim?

A: Payouts are generally built from economic losses (medical expenses, lost income) plus non-economic damages (pain and suffering), with pain and suffering commonly estimated using either a multiplier tied to injury severity or a per-day rate. Clear liability and full medical documentation both affect the final number.

 

Q: Is the multiplier method a legal requirement in New Hampshire?

A: No. It is a common negotiating tool used by insurers and attorneys, not a rule set by New Hampshire law or the courts. A jury or judge is free to value non-economic damages differently.

 

Q: Can my settlement be reduced if I was partly at fault?

A: Yes. New Hampshire follows a comparative negligence rule, so your compensation can be reduced by your percentage of fault in the crash.