California Car Accident Compensation Calculator
Get a clear picture of your financial losses. Explore a fault scenario, then check the deductions from a settlement offer if you have one.
See the math behind your result
Enter your numbers and calculate. Your worksheet will show every component and the assumptions that affect it.
- No sign-up or payment
- No private entries sent to analytics
- Official California sources below
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Browse personal injury attorneysWhat this calculator covers
A financial worksheet, not a settlement valuation. Bills are not automatically recoverable damages: evidence, amounts paid or owed, reasonable future costs, liability, coverage and legal restrictions all matter. Pain and suffering cannot be reliably priced by a fixed multiplier, so it is not calculated here.
Legal information, not legal advice. A worksheet is a starting point for checking your records, not a determination of what you are owed.
How the calculation works
The California car accident compensation calculator totals the economic losses you enter in U.S. dollars: past medical expenses, supported future medical costs, lost earnings, property damage and other documented financial losses. It then applies the fault percentage you assume as a comparative-fault scenario, reducing the total by that share, consistent with California’s pure comparative negligence rule described in Civil Jury Instruction CACI 405. A settlement offer you already hold is handled separately: the worksheet subtracts the attorney fee percentage applied to the gross offer, then case costs, then liens and reimbursements, and reports the net amount, including a negative net when deductions exceed the offer. The tool does not estimate noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, does not apply a multiplier, and does not decide liability or insurance coverage. Instructions were compared with the California Courts CACI resource on 2026-10-12.
What to do next
- Gather medical payment records, wage records, repair estimates and receipts. Avoid counting the same expense in two categories.
- Change the fault percentage only as an assumption; this tool does not determine who was responsible.
- If you have an offer, enter its full amount and your actual fee agreement, costs and liens. Ask about reimbursements and any restrictions before accepting it.
Common questions
How much is my California car accident case worth?
There is no dependable universal formula. This worksheet totals the financial losses you enter and keeps a known offer separate. It does not estimate noneconomic damages, decide legal fault, apply insurance coverage or predict what an insurer or court will pay.
How does shared fault affect compensation?
California comparative fault can reduce damages by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. The worksheet applies that percentage to entered economic losses as a simplified scenario. Multiple parties and different categories of damages can require a more detailed analysis.
Does the calculator include pain and suffering?
No. California’s jury instructions leave noneconomic damages to an evidence-based judgment rather than a fixed standard. Multiplying medical bills would create an unsupported settlement prediction.
Official sources and assistance
Maintained by California Attorney Registry. Source comparison dated ; automated editorial assistance, not an attorney review. Rules can change; confirm the current guidance for your situation.
Related California answers
- Can I still recover damages in California if the accident was partly my fault?Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804
- How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in California?Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
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