Many online tools use broad assumptions. Hidalgo claims, however, can be influenced by local realities that generic calculators don’t capture well, such as:
- Shift-based wages and overtime patterns (common in industrial, logistics, and service work)
- Documentation timing—when you reported the incident and when you first sought treatment
- Whether your job duties require frequent lifting, bending, or repetitive motion
- How quickly restrictions were communicated to your employer and reflected in medical notes
- Dispute pressure—some insurers push for early closure before permanency is fully understood
So if a calculator produces a single estimate, treat it like a range—not a promise.


