The multiplier method with California's actual rules applied — pure comparative negligence, a 2-year filing window — every statute cited and linked, every line of arithmetic shown.
Based on the multiplier method used by insurers and attorneys. This is an educational estimate, not legal advice — every claim is different.
You recover at any fault level — even 99% — with the award reduced by your percentage. California adopted the pure rule by decision, not statute. — Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804 (1975)
2 years for personal injury — Code Civ. Proc. §335.1. The clock is jurisdictional — one day late and no court will hear the case.
At-fault state — no PIP mandate.
Minimum liability coverage: 30/60/15 — $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage (raised effective Jan 1, 2025; scheduled to rise again to 50/100/25 in 2035). — Veh. Code §16056 (SB 1107) — policy limits are the practical ceiling on most settlements, which is why identifying every available policy (including your own underinsured-motorist coverage) matters.
If you owned or drove the vehicle uninsured, California bars your non-economic damages entirely — medical bills and lost wages remain recoverable, but the pain-and-suffering layer is gone (exception: you were hit by a DUI driver). For uninsured Californians this single statute reshapes the whole claim. — Civ. Code §3333.4
The same multiplier method used everywhere — (medical bills + lost wages) × a 1.5–5× severity multiplier + property damage — then California's fault rule is applied: You recover at any fault level — even 99% — with the award reduced by your percentage. California adopted the pure rule by decision, not statute. The calculator on this page runs exactly that math and prints every line.
2 years for personal injury (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1). Miss the deadline and the claim is barred permanently, no matter how strong it is — and claims against government entities often have much shorter notice requirements.
At-fault state — no PIP mandate.
Compensatory damages: No cap in ordinary injury cases. Medical malpractice (MICRA, as amended 2022): Non-economic damages capped at $470,000 for injury and $650,000 for wrongful death in 2026 — the caps rise annually ($40k/$50k per year) until they reach $750,000/$1,000,000 in 2033.