Motor Vehicle Accidents
Cars, trucks, motorcycles, rideshare, bicycle, pedestrian
Burden of proof
Negligence (duty + breach + causation + damages)
Typical value range
$5K — $5M+ (median ~$24K for car crashes)
The largest single category of personal injury cases. Liability is usually governed by the rules of the road, the state's fault rule (pure comparative, modified, or pure contributory), and the at-fault driver's insurance limits. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations apply to commercial trucking and unlock larger insurance pools. Rideshare cases involve a tiered coverage stack (driver's personal policy, Uber/Lyft contingent + active-trip $1M).
Premises Liability
Slip and fall, dog bite, swimming pool, building defect
Burden of proof
Property owner's duty depends on visitor status (invitee/licensee/trespasser)
Typical value range
$10K — $1M+ depending on injury severity
Property owners owe different duties depending on who's on their property. The highest duty is to invitees (customers in a business). Slip and falls are the most common premises case — winning usually requires proving the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Dog bites in strict-liability states (CA, FL, etc.) skip negligence entirely.
Medical Malpractice
Misdiagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries, prescription errors
Burden of proof
Departure from standard of care (expert affidavit usually required)
Typical value range
$100K — $30M+ (most caps apply to non-economic only)
Among the most complex PI cases. Most states require an expert affidavit of merit filed with the complaint (TX §74.351, IL §5/2-622, NC Rule 9(j) etc.). Damage caps (Texas $250K/$750K; California MICRA $470K/$650K rising under AB 35) apply only to non-economic damages — economic damages and future care are uncapped. SOL is shorter than general PI in most states; statutes of repose can cut off cases discovered late.
Product Liability & Mass Tort
Drug recalls, defective devices, contaminated products
Burden of proof
Manufacturing defect, design defect, or failure to warn (often strict liability)
Typical value range
$5K — $5M+ per claimant; aggregate settlements in billions
Strict-liability products cases don't require proof of carelessness — only that the product was defective and caused harm. Mass tort and MDL consolidation (Roundup MDL 2741, talc MDL 2734, Bard IVC MDL 2641) handle thousands of individual cases efficiently. Each plaintiff still has individual damages.
Workplace Injuries
Construction, OSHA violations, occupational disease
Burden of proof
Workers' comp is no-fault; third-party suits require negligence
Typical value range
Comp: schedule-based / Third-party: $50K — $5M+
Most workplace injuries are exclusively handled through workers' compensation — no-fault but capped. The valuable cases are third-party claims against equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, premises owners, or drivers — those bypass workers' comp's exclusive-remedy bar. New York Labor Law §240 (gravity-related construction injuries) is one of the most plaintiff-favorable statutes in the country.
Wrongful Death & Survival
Loss of a family member due to negligence
Burden of proof
Statutory claim by surviving family / personal rep
Typical value range
$500K — $20M+ (especially with young high-earning decedents)
Different from any other PI case because the injured person isn't bringing the claim — surviving family or the estate is. Damages include economic loss (lost earnings, services, financial support) and non-economic (loss of companionship, mental anguish). Florida §768.21(8) sharply limits which family members can recover. Statutory limits vary by state.
Intentional Torts & Abuse
Assault, sexual abuse, institutional abuse
Burden of proof
Intent vs. negligence; abuse cases often have revival windows
Typical value range
$100K — $10M+ depending on severity + institutional defendant
Several states have opened revival windows for previously time-barred sexual abuse claims (CA AB 218/2777, NY CVA + ASA, NJ, MD). These reset the SOL for childhood abuse victims and unlock institutional defendants (dioceses, schools, scouts, hospitals). The Maryland 2025 cap-reduction is a major development.
By Specific Injury
Back, knee, TBI, soft-tissue, herniated disc
Burden of proof
Injury-type valuation regardless of cause
Typical value range
$5K — $5M+ depending on permanence
Some calculators are organized by injury rather than accident type. Useful when you know what's wrong but the legal theory is still developing, or for cross-checking the multiplier against your specific injury profile.