Treat the output as illustrative only. It is not advice, not a prediction, and not a figure anyone is required to honor. ClaimGauge is not a law firm. In practice, insurance adjusters, attorneys, and juries decide what these damages are worth.
The multiplier method
The multiplier method takes your economic damages (such as medical bills and lost wages) and multiplies them by a factor, often somewhere in a low single-digit range, to approximate pain and suffering.
The size of the multiplier is meant to reflect how severe and lasting the harm is. More serious, permanent, or well-documented injuries tend toward higher multipliers; minor, short-lived injuries tend toward lower ones. There is no official chart, and the choice is subjective.
The per-diem method
The per-diem ("per day") method assigns a daily dollar value to your suffering and multiplies it by the number of days you are affected, often from the date of injury until you reach maximum recovery.
Choosing the daily rate and the number of days is just as subjective as choosing a multiplier. Different people, and different insurers, will pick different inputs, which is part of why estimates diverge so much.
Why this is illustrative only
Neither method is binding on anyone. Insurers may discount your inputs, dispute your injuries, or point to your state's fault and damages rules. A jury, if a case ever goes that far, brings its own judgment.
Use this tool to understand the concepts and to frame a conversation, not to set expectations. For an assessment grounded in your actual facts and your state's law, talk to a licensed attorney.