Many AI calculators use simplified inputs—things like injury severity, treatment duration, and medical costs—to generate a rough range. That can feel reassuring when you’re dealing with pain, uncertainty, and paperwork.
But here’s what often goes wrong in real Oregon cases:
- Timing details get flattened. If follow-up was delayed or instructions weren’t followed because of miscommunication, an AI model may miss how that affected what happened next.
- Functional impact isn’t captured well. In a suburban community like Lake Oswego, lost functioning often shows up in day-to-day ways—returning to work in a different capacity, missed school obligations for caregivers, or inability to participate in normal routines.
- Local care patterns aren’t modeled. Patients may move between providers (primary care, specialists, imaging centers, urgent care, therapy). Those handoffs can matter legally, and AI typically doesn’t account for chart inconsistencies across settings.
The result: an AI range can be directionally useful, but it’s rarely reliable enough to guide settlement decisions on its own.


