How Much Is My Case Worth?

Online "settlement calculators" are often misleading marketing gimmicks. Real case value depends on complex factors: liability limits, venue, and specific medical outcomes.

The Three Pillars of Value

In Oklahoma, the value of a personal injury case is driven by three main factors:

1. Economic Damages (The Math)

These are the hard numbers we can prove with receipts:

• Past Medical Bills: The actual cost of ER visits, surgeries, and therapy.
• Future Medical Costs: The projected cost of future surgeries or replacement prosthetics (Life Care Plan).
• Lost Wages: Money you lost while off work.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: If you can never return to your high-paying oil field job.

2. Non-Economic Damages (The Human Cost)

This is "Pain and Suffering," but it includes more:

• Physical Pain: The agony of burn debridement or nerve damage.
• Mental Anguish: PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
• Loss of Consortium: The impact on your relationship with your spouse.
• Permanent Disfigurement: Scars or amputation.

3. Liability & Coverage (The Cap)

This is one of the most important factors. A serious injury claim must be evaluated against available insurance, defendant assets, comparative fault, and collectability.

• Insurance Limits: A minimum policy in Oklahoma is only $25,000. Big commercial trucks often have $750,000 or $1,000,000+.
• Comparative Fault: If a jury finds you 40% at fault, your award is reduced by 40%. If you are 51% at fault, you get nothing.

The "Multiplier" Myth

You may have heard that case value is based on a simple multiplier. That shortcut is unreliable. Real valuation depends on injury severity, permanency, treatment, work restrictions, comparative fault, venue, coverage, and the proof available to present those losses.