A common way to estimate pain and suffering or other non-economic damages is to multiply a person's measurable losses - usually medical expenses and sometimes lost income - by a number that reflects how serious the injury is.

That number, often between 1.5 and 5, is higher when the injury is more severe, recovery takes longer, treatment is intensive, or daily life and work are heavily affected. For example, someone treated at UNM Hospital in Albuquerque after a major crash may have far greater projected non-economic losses than someone with a short course of care for a mild soft-tissue injury. The method is only a shortcut, not a rule. Insurers use it in negotiations, but courts and juries are not required to follow it.

In an injury claim, the multiplier method can shape early settlement talks by giving both sides a rough starting point for case value. The dispute often centers on what bills count, whether future treatment is likely, and what multiplier is fair based on symptoms, work limits, scarring, or lasting impairment.

New Mexico does not have a general statute requiring use of the multiplier method. Damages are still proven through evidence, and ordinary personal injury claims are generally subject to the New Mexico statute of limitations, NMSA 1978, Section 37-1-8, which gives most injured people three years to file suit.