Most calculators use broad inputs (injury severity, treatment timeline, and generalized categories of damages). That can be misleading for residents who are dealing with:
- Delayed diagnoses that worsen after multiple visits
- Medication or monitoring issues that show up during follow-ups
- Surgical and anesthesia complications that require specialists to explain
In practice, settlement discussions hinge on whether the evidence supports three questions:
- Was there a breach of the standard of care?
- Did that breach cause the harm?
- What losses are provable (and what’s likely to continue)?
A calculator can’t review the exact charting, imaging, lab trends, consent documentation, or expert review that Illinois courts and insurers expect.


