Hawaii Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Hawaii car-accident injury claim might be worth, based on your medical bills and losses. This is an estimate to understand the factors — not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
No tool can predict a settlement. This uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, the available insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Hawaii car-accident attorney about your case.
Enter your medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method (pain-and-suffering as a multiple of your medical bills) is a common starting point, not a guarantee. A real recovery is also capped by the available insurance (the at-fault driver's limits, or your own UM/UIM coverage). Most car-accident cases settle; an attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a car-accident settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. This calculator applies the multiplier method: it adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It then applies Hawaii's fault rule and flags the insurance limits that cap a real payout.
Hawaii Is a no-fault (PIP) state
Hawaii is one of the 12 traditional no-fault states. HRS 431:10C-306 ("Abolition of tort liability") abolishes tort liability of owners/operators/users of insured motor vehicles for accidental harm from Hawaii motor-vehicle accidents, except in the enumerated cases. Every owner must carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays the insured's own medical/rehab costs regardless of fault, and a victim must clear the no-fault threshold to recover pain-and-suffering damages in tort. Property-damage tort liability is NOT abolished (HRS 431:10C-306(b)).
Serious-injury threshold. In a no-fault state your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays your medical bills and lost wages first, regardless of fault. You can only step outside no-fault and sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering if your injuries clear the state's threshold. HRS 431:10C-306(b) permits a tort suit (including for pain and suffering) when the injured person clears EITHER a monetary OR a verbal threshold. Monetary: PIP benefits incurred for medical-rehabilitative treatment equal or exceed the medical-rehabilitative limit ($5,000) under HRS 431:10C-308. Verbal: (1) death; (2) significant permanent loss of use of a part or function of the body; or (3) permanent and serious disfigurement resulting in subjection of the injured person to mental or emotional suffering. Because Hawaii uses both a dollar threshold and serious-injury descriptions, the threshold is coded "both."
PIP: PIP is mandatory. Minimum PIP (personal injury protection) benefits of $10,000 per person are required under HRS 431:10C-103.5 / 431:10C-304, covering the insured's accident-related medical and rehabilitative expenses regardless of fault. Basic PIP excludes lost wages and funeral costs; optional add-ons (wage loss, death benefit up to $100,000, funeral up to $2,000) may be purchased.
Minimum Insurance & UM/UIM in Hawaii
A settlement is only collectible up to the available insurance. Hawaii's minimum required liability coverage is $40,000 per person / $80,000 per accident for bodily injury and $20,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only the minimum, so a large claim can exceed the at-fault driver's policy. Effective January 1, 2026, Hawaii's minimum liability limits increased to 40/80/20: $40,000 bodily injury per person, $80,000 bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 property damage per accident (HRS 431:10C-301; SB2342 CD1; DCCA Insurance Division). The prior longstanding minimum was 20/40/10 ($20,000/$40,000/$10,000). The new limits apply to all new and renewal policies with effective dates on or after January 1, 2026. PIP of $10,000 is required in addition.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): if the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, your recovery comes from your own UM/UIM coverage. In Hawaii, UM/UIM is must be offered (you may reject it in writing). Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage are "optional coverages" that insurers must OFFER; the insured may reject them but only by a written rejection. Under HRS 431:10C-301(b), the required written rejection is presumptive evidence of the insured's decision to decline, and once rejected no further offers are required on renewal/replacement. UM/UIM limits may be selected up to (but not greater than) the policy's bodily-injury liability limits.
Fault & Your Recovery: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Hawaii follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
Deadline to File a Hawaii Car-Accident Claim
Hawaii generally requires a car-accident injury lawsuit to be filed within 2 years of the crash (the statute of limitations). HRS 657-7: actions for compensation for damage or injury to persons or property must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrued. This 2-year limit governs car-accident bodily-injury and property-damage claims; the clock generally runs from the accident date, subject to Hawaii's discovery rule. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Hawaii is a true no-fault state: after a crash your own PIP coverage pays your medical and rehabilitation bills first, regardless of who was at fault (HRS 431:10C-306).
- You can only step outside no-fault and sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering if you clear a threshold: either $5,000 in PIP medical-rehab benefits incurred, OR death, significant permanent loss of a body part/function, or permanent serious disfigurement.
- Effective January 1, 2026, minimum liability limits rose to 40/80/20 ($40,000 per person / $80,000 per accident bodily injury, $20,000 property damage) — up from the old 20/40/10.
- Every Hawaii policy must include at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP); optional add-ons cover lost wages, a death benefit up to $100,000, and funeral costs.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage must be offered by your insurer but can be declined in writing (HRS 431:10C-301).
- You generally have 2 years from the accident to file a car-accident injury or property-damage lawsuit (HRS 657-7). Hawaii follows a modified comparative negligence (51%) rule — you're barred from recovery if you are more than 50% at fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Hawaii car accident claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Hawaii's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule and the no-fault serious-injury threshold. The real value also depends on the available insurance limits — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Is Hawaii a no-fault state?
Hawaii is one of the 12 traditional no-fault states. HRS 431:10C-306 ("Abolition of tort liability") abolishes tort liability of owners/operators/users of insured motor vehicles for accidental harm from Hawaii motor-vehicle accidents, except in the enumerated cases. Every owner must carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays the insured's own medical/rehab costs regardless of fault, and a victim must clear the no-fault threshold to recover pain-and-suffering damages in tort. Property-damage tort liability is NOT abolished (HRS 431:10C-306(b)).
Does my own fault reduce my Hawaii settlement?
Yes. Hawaii follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). You recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
How long do I have to file in Hawaii?
Generally 2 years from the crash. HRS 657-7: actions for compensation for damage or injury to persons or property must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrued. This 2-year limit governs car-accident bodily-injury and property-damage claims; the clock generally runs from the accident date, subject to Hawaii's discovery rule.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Real settlements vary enormously and are capped by the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Hawaii car-accident attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a car-accident claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.