New Hampshire Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire's fault rule and flags the insurance limits that cap a real payout.
New Hampshire Is an at-fault (tort) state
New Hampshire is a pure at-fault (tort) state. It is NOT one of the 12 traditional no-fault/PIP states and has no no-fault statute. The injured party recovers from the at-fault driver (or that driver's liability insurer). Notably, NH is the one state that does not require drivers to carry liability auto insurance as a condition of registration/operation; instead it imposes a post-accident "financial responsibility" obligation under RSA chapter 264. A driver who chooses to go uninsured remains personally liable for damages and must be able to "respond in damages" at the statutory limits.
Minimum Insurance & UM/UIM in New Hampshire
A settlement is only collectible up to the available insurance. New Hampshire's minimum required liability coverage is $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only the minimum, so a large claim can exceed the at-fault driver's policy. New Hampshire does not mandate liability insurance to register or operate a vehicle. However, when a driver does carry an auto policy, is ordered to file proof of financial responsibility (e.g., after an accident, conviction, or SR-22 requirement), or self-insures, the statutory minimum limits are 25/50/25: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage. These limits are set in RSA 264:20 (amount of proof) and referenced by RSA 259:61 (definition of "proof of financial responsibility"). Because coverage is not compulsory, the "minimum" figures here describe the limits that apply once a policy is written or proof is required, not a universal carry requirement.
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 New Hampshire, UM/UIM is required to carry. Under RSA 264:15, no auto liability policy may be issued in New Hampshire unless it includes uninsured-motorist (and hit-and-run) coverage — and NH UM coverage also encompasses underinsured-motorist protection. UM/UIM must be provided at limits at least equal to the policy's bodily-injury liability limits (minimum 25/50), and if the insured elects higher liability limits the UM/UIM limits automatically match unless otherwise reduced as permitted. UM/UIM cannot be omitted from a policy that is sold (it is required-to-carry within any issued policy), though NH does not force drivers to buy a policy at all. A named insured may reject the coverage only in writing.
Fault & Your Recovery: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Car-Accident Claim
New Hampshire generally requires a car-accident injury lawsuit to be filed within 3 years of the crash (the statute of limitations). RSA 508:4, I sets a 3-year limitations period for all personal actions, including auto-accident personal-injury and property-damage claims. A discovery-rule exception tolls the clock until the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, both the injury and its causal connection to the defendant's conduct. The 3-year period is the standard deadline for car-accident tort suits. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- New Hampshire is a pure at-fault (tort) state — there is no no-fault or PIP system, so an injured driver may sue the at-fault party directly for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering with no injury threshold to clear.
- New Hampshire is the one state that does NOT require drivers to carry liability insurance. Instead, RSA chapter 264 imposes a post-accident financial-responsibility duty; an uninsured at-fault driver is personally on the hook for damages and can face license/registration suspension.
- If you do carry a policy (or are ordered to file proof of financial responsibility/SR-22), the minimum liability limits are 25/50/25: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage (RSA 264:20).
- Every auto policy issued in New Hampshire must include uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage at your liability limits (RSA 264:15) and at least $1,000 in medical payments coverage unless rejected in writing (RSA 264:16) — important given how many NH drivers go uninsured.
- Fault is allocated under New Hampshire's modified comparative-negligence rule (51% bar): you can recover only if your fault is not greater than the defendant's (50% or less), and your award is reduced by your share of fault (RSA 507:7-d).
- The deadline to file a car-accident injury or property-damage lawsuit is 3 years from the crash under RSA 508:4, subject to a limited discovery-rule exception.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule. The real value also depends on the available insurance limits — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Is New Hampshire a no-fault state?
New Hampshire is a pure at-fault (tort) state. It is NOT one of the 12 traditional no-fault/PIP states and has no no-fault statute. The injured party recovers from the at-fault driver (or that driver's liability insurer). Notably, NH is the one state that does not require drivers to carry liability auto insurance as a condition of registration/operation; instead it imposes a post-accident "financial responsibility" obligation under RSA chapter 264. A driver who chooses to go uninsured remains personally liable for damages and must be able to "respond in damages" at the statutory limits.
Does my own fault reduce my New Hampshire settlement?
Yes. New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?
Generally 3 years from the crash. RSA 508:4, I sets a 3-year limitations period for all personal actions, including auto-accident personal-injury and property-damage claims. A discovery-rule exception tolls the clock until the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, both the injury and its causal connection to the defendant's conduct. The 3-year period is the standard deadline for car-accident tort suits.
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 New Hampshire 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.