A Closer Look At The Importance Of Lost Wages In A Personal Injury Case
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
Injuries can make it difficult to go on with your life as you normally would. Not only can the physical wounds make it harder to recover properly or to conduct daily activities as you once would have, but other aspects of your life could be impacted as well. In particular, the financial burden that an accident can place on an individual can often be very difficult to bear. Insurance can help, and filing insurance claims is often the first step that one may take when trying to get back on their feet financially after an accident. But what many fail to realize is that initial settlement offers and even some claims may not take all of your losses into account. In particular, one thing that needs close attention is lost wages.
What Are Lost Wages?
Essentially, lost wages are a type of damages that you may be awarded in a personal injury case. They're compensation that is based on the income that you have lost due to your accident. Certain accidents can leave you unable to work as you recover from your injuries, and any time that you miss from work should be compensated.
This can include time missed due to visiting a doctor for a follow up visit, the time you spent in a hospital, time you had to take independently for recovery, and more. In short, your lost wages can encompass virtually every hour that you spent away from work due to your accident.
Lost Earning Capacity
It's also important to pay attention to lost earning capacity and the impact that it may have on your finances.
This is a more serious side of lost wages, and it involves accidents that leave a person injured or unable to perform their job as they should.
For example, if your injuries leave you unable to use your arm fully, it may mean that you can no longer perform your normal job. This can impact your ability to earn what you once did, and can also even impact things like your insurance, your retirement future, bonuses, pensions, and more.
Serious accidents that leave you wounded in this way can impact your life forever, and as such it's vital to make certain that your settlement includes lost earning capacity considerations.
Proving What You're Owed
Understanding what lost wages are is the first step, but it's often much more difficult to prove that you deserve them. To do so, you'll need numerous documents including things like:
• Medical documents
• Pay stubs
• Employer verification
Each of these factors can be used by your attorney to show that your income was directly impacted as a result of the accident. They'll need to be used in order to show that you deserve compensation.
A Fair Amount
You also need to speak with an attorney to make sure that you get the maximum amount from your case. It can be difficult to determine just what kind of financial impact your accident has had on you, especially in the long-term. Your attorney works with medical experts as well as financial professionals to review your case and make a clear determination as to just what the true costs of your accident really are. Then, they use that information to fight to get you the maximum amount possible from your case.
If you've been injured in an accident of any kind, getting professional help is important. Contact our lawyers today to get a consultation and find out more about your rights and how we can help ensure that you get the most from your case so you can make a full recovery.