What are the main things that personal injury claims and settlements are valued upon?

In an injury claim settlement, the insurer will typically take into account the following items:

(1) property damage;

(2) pain and suffering, which includes humiliation, stress, anxiety, depress, loss of consortium, and post-traumatic stress disorder;

(3) lost wages;

(4) facial disfigurement;

(5) physical impairment;

(6) permanent disability benefits;

(7) future and present medical needs; and

(8) loss of family, educational and social experiences

In general, insurance companies arrive at a dollar amount for injury property settlement purposes by adding up several of the damages above.  The insurance adjuter computes all of the medical expenses, also referred to as 'special damages', and this becomes the base figure used to calculate how much the company should compensate the plaintiff or injured individual for non-monetary losses such as pain and suffering.  For minor injuries, the special damages are multiplied by 1.5 or 2, whereas for more significant injuries, those damages are multiplied by up to 5.  The adjuster then tacks on any lost income flowing from the injuries.