If you were in a serious car accident, you may have substantial property damage as well as personal injuries. If you were seriously injured, you may not be able to return to work immediately in order to have medical testing, surgeries, therapy, or simply heal. In some cases, a victim of a catastrophic car accident may have to take months or longer off of work in order to recover from their injuries. Along with your medical bills and pain and suffering, you are likely to lose wages at work. The following explains the types of documentation you will need in order to prove that you should receive compensation for the loss of wages due to your accident.

What Are Lost Wages?

Lost wages are the earnings that you would have made at your place of employment if you had not been involved in a car accident. All of the ways that you were compensated can be included in your lost wages claim in your personal injury case. Additionally, if the doctor or medical professional indicates that you will never be able to return to work, you will also have a claim for loss of future wages for all the wages over your lifetime you would have earned but now are unable to because of someone else’s negligence.

Making a Lost Wages Claim in Your Personal Injury Case 

The insurance company will want to see independently verifiable medical documentation that states that you have an injury that precludes you from going to work. It is important to note that you should never allow an insurance company to have access to your full medical file, but only those records that directly pertain to your car accident. Additionally, your doctor or medical provider will have to provide a note saying that you were unable to work for the specified period of time, or that your injuries are so severe that you will be unable to return to work in the same capacity in the future.

You may also have to provide a W-2 or other types of wage documentation showing what you used to earn on a consistent basis at your place of employment. Additionally, you will need to provide documentation to your employer allowing them to send personal information to the insurance company regarding your typical wages, bonuses, overtime, etc.

Also, if you ever took any sick leave or vacation time in order to continue to be paid while you were off of work due to your injury related to your car accident, you will want to document this as well, as you should be able to receive reimbursements for that vacation and sick time that you would not have had to take but for being injured in the car crash.

Consider other factors as well, such as the fact that you may have lost the ability to obtain a pay raise, or expected and traditional employee perks such as employer contributions to your profit-sharing or retirement plan, employer stock options or transportation allowances.

Contact Us Today for Help

We can help you develop a strong personal injury case that includes compensation for your lost wages. Contact an experienced  personal injury attorney at O’Donnell Law Offices at 570-821-5717 or online today. We proudly serve clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston.

Resource:

dol.gov/general/topic/wages

https://www.odonnell-law.com/2020/05/29/steps-to-take-after-your-bicycle-accident/

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