Most AI tools work by asking for basic details—like the deceased person’s age, wages, medical timeline, and the type of incident—and then producing a “likely value” range.
In Morro Bay, the biggest reason these tools fall short isn’t math. It’s that wrongful death value is driven by case-specific proof, including:
- Who was actually responsible for the fatal incident (and whether multiple parties share fault)
- Whether the fatal outcome was caused by the defendant’s conduct (not just connected to it)
- What documentation exists right now (and what may have been lost or overwritten)
- How California courts and juries typically evaluate credibility
If the inputs are incomplete—especially around the incident timeline—an AI estimate can be wildly optimistic or overly conservative.


