Lost wages are one of the most commonly pursued damage claims made after a wreck or personal injury. This is the money you would have received from your job had the wreck or injury not happened. The defendant in your case may be legally responsible for paying for your lost wages if they are found at fault for your injuries. We’re going to talk about a few of the different things that can determine how much your lost wages claim could be worth.

Lost Wages

The first step in figuring out how much money you are owed is to make a list of the wages
lost due to the wreck. This must include any daily wages that you would have earned had it not been for the wreck. Make note of the number of workdays or shifts you had to miss due to being hurt. Also include overtime, bonuses, any tips, special projects, benefits, or additional income you likely would have received while you had to step away from your job.

You can list as many days as it takes for you to heal and return to work at your normal level. If you are able to return to work in a lesser-paying position or by working part-time instead of full-time, you could still add the difference to your claim. You can use previous pay stubs, invoices, letters from your employer, tax return documents, and your medical records to support your claim of lost wages.

Vacation Time, Sick Leave, Work Opportunities, and Benefits

Your next step in making your claim is to think about your losses when it comes to employee benefits and job opportunities. If you are asked to use paid sick leave, vacation time, and other employee benefits to heal from your wreck, these need to be included in your claim, even if you were already paid for time missed through benefits your job offers. This amount could still be added to your lost income claim as money the defendant owes you.

If you lost opportunities to work due to still being hurt, be sure to include an estimate of how much money you would have earned to add to your claim. This includes overtime opportunities, special projects, taking someone else’s shift, commissions, promotions, job interviews, or new clients. Your personal injury lawyer can help you figure out how much lost income to claim based on evidence from talking to your boss and your employment history.

Future Lost Income

The last thing to think about when figuring out how much money to claim is the chance of future lost income due to still being hurt after your wreck. If your doctor decides that you cannot safely return to your job, you can ask for money from the defendant for your future losses. Your lawyer can help you figure out how much money to ask for in total. If you become permanently disabled from your wreck and you are not able to earn a livable income for the rest of your life, the defendant could have to pay you for a lifetime of lost wages and benefits, this is called the Lost Capacity to Earn.

Before accepting an offer, think about the full amount of past and future lost income in your claim. For help estimating your losses and to help you get the money, that rightfully belongs to you, from an insurance company, contact Attorney Dean Boyd.