Summary:
- Personal injury victims can suffer lost wages when they have to take time off work to recover from injuries
- They can file a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for damages
- Personal injury victims can use pay stubs to calculate lost wages
- They must prove they suffered lost wages because of the at-fault party’s negligence
Personal injury victims can suffer damages from the impact of their accidents that can affect them financially, physically, and psychologically. One typical damage suffered from a personal injury accident is lost wages. This is the compensation for work that they miss out on because they need to take time off to recover from severe injuries.
Those who suffer personal injury accidents can file claims to pursue compensation for lost wages. The process includes calculating how much money from work they missed out on and collecting evidence to prove they lost wages because of the at-fault party’s negligence. Hiring a personal injury lawyer can help with the process of pursuing compensation for lost wages.
Personal Injury Victims May Need to Take Time Off Work to Recover From Injuries
A personal injury accident is a traumatic incident where someone can suffer physical harm from an at-fault party’s negligence. This can include motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, slip and fall accidents, and nursing home abuse. One damage, or economic or non-economic loss, someone can suffer from a personal injury accident is lost wages.
Personal injury victims can suffer severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), broken bones, and spinal cord injuries. These can negatively affect a person’s health, meaning they cannot complete work tasks and may have to take time off work to heal.
A lost wage is the compensation a personal injury victim can miss out on while recovering from a severe injury. If not for the at-fault party’s negligence, the personal injury victim would not have suffered lost wages.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim to Pursue Compensation for Lost Wages
Those who suffer lost wages from a personal injury accident can file a personal injury claim to pursue compensation. When someone causes a personal injury accident, they can be held liable for damages because their negligence or recklessness caused the victim’s injuries and damages.
In the case of lost wages, filing a civil claim is one of the few ways to restore the compensation lost from time off work. Auto insurance can cover a percentage of lost wages but will not help you recover fully. Personal injury victims who want to recover full compensation for lost wages should file a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Calculating the Value of Lost Wages from a Personal Injury Accident
Calculating lost wages can be straightforward for salaried employees. They can find their most recent pay stub and use that to base how much they should earn. This pay stub can show how much an employee makes on an hourly, weekly, and bi-weekly basis. They can calculate how much money they lost based on how much they normally earn and how long they missed work.
However, this process can be more complicated for those who work based on commissions or who have freelance work. Their wages can fluctuate based on their performance. In this case, a personal injury lawyer can help you look over a six-month or year period and find an average for how much you make. You can use this number to determine the value of your lost wages.
How Can Someone Prove They Suffered Lost Wages Due to a Personal Injury Accident?
Part of recovering compensation for lost wages is proving missing time off work occurred because of the at-fault party’s negligence. Personal injury victims must be able to prove either to the at-fault party’s insurance company or a jury that they suffered lost wages because of the personal injury accident.
They can do this by showcasing evidence that establishes their time off work happened because of the personal injury accident. A personal injury victim can use pay stubs to establish the value of their lost wages. They can use evidence like medical records, police reports, witness statements, expert witness testimony, and video evidence to establish liability.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Lost Wages
At The Russo Firm, our personal injury lawyers can help people pursue compensation for damages, which can include lost wages. They can use their experience and expertise to help calculate damages, prove the value of damages, and negotiate a fair settlement.
Our experienced personal injury attorneys will be by your side throughout the process and can help advise you on the best steps to take to recover fair compensation for lost wages. Contact us for a free personal injury case evaluation today at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lost Wages
Can You Pursue Compensation for Overtime Pay, Bonuses, and Tips?
Personal injury victims can also pursue compensation for overtime pay, bonuses, and tips. However, recovering compensation for them requires documentation proving you earned them in the past. You must establish that you have acquired this type of pay and would likely have earned it should you not have suffered a severe injury.
What is Lost Earning Potential?
You can suffer other economic damages that can affect your ability to earn compensation from work. Lost earning potential reflects what money you could have earned throughout your life had you not suffered a severe injury. For example, suffering a broken leg can majorly affect your ability to earn a living in a career with physical activity.
You may not be able to continue with a lucrative career you had, meaning you lost out on compensation that you will not be able to get back. You could pursue compensation for lost earning potential based on career earnings projections, allowing you to recover some compensation lost from being unable to continue with a career.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help You Pursue Compensation for Lost Wages?
Personal injury victims can pursue compensation for economic damages like lost wages or non-economic damages that affect their quality of life. They can recover compensation for medical bills, loss of consortium, or pain and suffering with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
An experienced personal injury attorney can use the expertise earned through helping several other clients to put you in the best position to recover compensatory damages. They can help you calculate your lost wages, collect evidence to prove your damages, and negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance provider.
