Accident Settlement Calculator

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New Hampshire Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In New Hampshire, you generally have 3 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing if more than 50% at fault, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a New Hampshire claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

New Hampshire rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are more than 50% at fault
Details & exceptions

New Hampshire uses modified comparative fault: an injured person can recover as long as their fault is not greater than the fault of the defendant, or of the defendants in the aggregate when recovery is allowed against more than one (so 50 percent or less), with damages reduced by their percentage of fault. At 51 percent or more, they recover nothing (RSA 507:7-d).

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit3 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

RSA 508:4(I): 'all personal actions' (which covers both personal injury and property damage) must be brought within 3 years of the act or omission, with a discovery rule for injuries not reasonably discoverable at the time. Claims against governmental units (municipalities, counties, etc.) under RSA 507-B: suit within 3 years, and as a condition precedent the governmental unit's clerk must be notified by registered mail within 60 days after the injury (RSA 507-B:7(I)). Governmental unit liability is capped at $325,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence (RSA 507-B:4(I)).

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Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. New Hampshire does not require drivers to buy auto insurance. The NH Insurance Department guide says state law does 'not require you to carry auto insurance', but drivers must be able to meet the financial responsibility requirements after an at-fault accident, or their driving privileges may be suspended. Proof of financial responsibility is set at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (RSA 264:20). Any policy sold as a 'motor vehicle liability policy' must carry at least the same 25/50/25 limits (RSA 259:61(I)), plus at least $1,000 per person of medical payments coverage (RSA 264:16(I)) and uninsured motorist coverage (RSA 264:15). The 2026 bills to make insurance mandatory (HB 1568) or to require proof of insurance at registration (HB 1558) were reported Inexpedient to Legislate in Feb. 2026 (secondary trackers).

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No enforceable cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases. RSA 508:4-d set an $875,000 cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury actions, but the New Hampshire Supreme Court held it unconstitutional under the state equal protection guarantee in Brannigan v. Usitalo, 134 N.H. 50 (1991) (secondary sources). The text reportedly remains in the RSA. Claims against governmental units are subject to the RSA 507-B:4 total liability cap ($325,000 per person / $1,000,000 per occurrence).

Uninsured motorist coverageRequired
Details & exceptions

Insurance itself is optional in New Hampshire, but any motor vehicle liability policy that is purchased must include uninsured motorist coverage at least equal to the bodily injury minimums (RSA 264:15(I)). When the insured buys higher liability limits, UM coverage automatically matches them. Only umbrella or excess policies may reject UM in writing. The NH Insurance Department guide says UM must be provided at limits equal to liability coverage and also protects against underinsured drivers. A driver who chooses to carry no insurance has no UM coverage.

Worked example: a typical New Hampshire car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in New Hampshire: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000New Hampshire uses modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in New Hampshire

The 3-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road60 days (cities, towns, counties)

For a city, town, county or other local governmental unit, notify its clerk by registered mail within 60 days of the injury, then sue within 3 years. Claims against the State itself have no 60-day notice but must be brought within 3 years.

RSA 507-B:7, Limitation on Actions (governmental units)RSA 541-B:14, Claims Against the State (limitation in paragraph IV)

If the injured person is a child

A child injured before 18 can usually sue within 2 years after turning 18 (by age 20), even though the normal deadline is 3 years.

RSA 508:8, Disabilities

How fast a New Hampshire insurer must respond

New Hampshire's claim settlement rules require property/casualty insurers to start investigating within 5 working days, acknowledge within 10 working days, decide coverage within 30 days and pay within 5 days of agreement, or send written delay letters. They cover insureds and claimants.

N.H. Code Admin. R. Ins 1000, Claim Settlement (Ins 1002.05)Claim Handling Requirements by State: New Hampshire (secondary summary citing Ins 1002.05)

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a New Hampshire crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in New Hampshire?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a New Hampshire claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in New Hampshire.
Is New Hampshire an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
New Hampshire's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in New Hampshire car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No enforceable cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases. RSA 508:4-d set an $875,000 cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury actions, but the New Hampshire Supreme Court held it unconstitutional under the state equal protection guarantee in Brannigan v. Usitalo, 134 N.H. 50 (1991) (secondary sources). The text reportedly remains in the RSA. Claims against governmental units are subject to the RSA 507-B:4 total liability cap ($325,000 per person / $1,000,000 per occurrence).
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New Hampshire?
Generally 3 years for personal injury and 3 years for property damage. RSA 508:4(I): 'all personal actions' (which covers both personal injury and property damage) must be brought within 3 years of the act or omission, with a discovery rule for injuries not reasonably discoverable at the time. Claims against governmental units (municipalities, counties, etc.) under RSA 507-B: suit within 3 years, and as a condition precedent the governmental unit's clerk must be notified by registered mail within 60 days after the injury (RSA 507-B:7(I)). Governmental unit liability is capped at $325,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence (RSA 507-B:4(I)).
What is the minimum car insurance in New Hampshire?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. New Hampshire does not require drivers to buy auto insurance. The NH Insurance Department guide says state law does 'not require you to carry auto insurance', but drivers must be able to meet the financial responsibility requirements after an at-fault accident, or their driving privileges may be suspended. Proof of financial responsibility is set at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (RSA 264:20). Any policy sold as a 'motor vehicle liability policy' must carry at least the same 25/50/25 limits (RSA 259:61(I)), plus at least $1,000 per person of medical payments coverage (RSA 264:16(I)) and uninsured motorist coverage (RSA 264:15). The 2026 bills to make insurance mandatory (HB 1568) or to require proof of insurance at registration (HB 1558) were reported Inexpedient to Legislate in Feb. 2026 (secondary trackers).
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in New Hampshire?
60 days (cities, towns, counties). For a city, town, county or other local governmental unit, notify its clerk by registered mail within 60 days of the injury, then sue within 3 years. Claims against the State itself have no 60-day notice but must be brought within 3 years.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire's claim settlement rules require property/casualty insurers to start investigating within 5 working days, acknowledge within 10 working days, decide coverage within 30 days and pay within 5 days of agreement, or send written delay letters. They cover insureds and claimants.

Related

Official sources