If you have suffered in an accident, you can recover compensation by filing a personal injury claim. However, deciding on the right amount to claim can be tricky. It is important that your claim covers all expenses incurred by you that are related - directly or otherwise - to the accident. At the same time, filing for too high an amount may lead to your claim being rejected.

What you need is a personal injury claim calculator, or a system to help you compute the right amount for which you should file your claim. These five important criteria will be used by the to calculate your compensation.

Medical expenses

Your medical expenses are the most important factor for determining your compensation amount and should form part of the personal injury claim calculator. The problem may be to decide what constitutes medical expenses. Apart from obviously related costs such as doctors' fees, hospitalisation expenses, and cost of tests and treatment, you are entitled to include indirect expenses such as transport to and from the hospital, and the cost of nursing at home, if any.

Loss of property

The personal injury claim calculator should also take into account any damage caused to your property because of the accident. Whether it is a smashed car or broken furniture, you deserve to be compensated for the repair or replacement costs.

Lost earnings

Your loss of earning, because of your inability to work, adds up to your total accident related loss. The personal injury claim calculator needs to take stock of the total amount of earnings you lost.

Lasting disability

Any lasting disability that impairs your capacity to function normally should be a consideration for the personal injury claim calculator This includes not just physical handicaps but also mental trauma.

Share of liability

Finally, your personal injury claims calculator needs to consider your share of the liability for the accident. Personal injury compensation is awarded to make up for the loss you suffered on someone else's account. The extent of your liability is not included while calculating your compensation amount.