A car accident can devastate your life. If you are like most Americans, you cannot afford to miss one payday let alone weeks or months of income. If you are seriously injured in an accident, you will not have much choice in missing work. You might be confined to the sick bed for some time, and it may take even longer for you to get well enough to return to work.
In the meantime, your bills will continue to pile up and you will need to deal with the added expense of medical bills related to your injury. To recover the income you lost to an accident, you must engage an experienced car accident attorney.
Claiming Damages for Lost Wages
Speaking with a car accident attorney will help you understand how you can recover the wages you lost because of the accident. Here are the types of wages and income covered by the law.
- Hourly wages
The total amount for this claim is derived by adding up the number of work hours you missed and multiplying them by the hourly rate.
- Overtime
If you have a record of working overtime, you can claim the overtime you missed because of the accident. You can prove your practice of working overtime by submitting past pay stubs.
- Bonuses
If you missed out on bonuses because of your injuries, then you can be compensated for it. You can ask your employer to submit documentation detailing the bonus you may have earned had it not been for the collision.
- Sick days
You can also claim the value of the sick days you have had to use because of the accident and injury.
- Vacation days
If you have had to use vacation days in addition to your sick days, you can be compensated for the monetary value of these days.
- Tips
If your income depends a great deal on tips, you can claim compensation for them. You can prove the amount you regularly received in tips by submitting copies of your tax filings or your bank deposit slips.
You can also claim money for lost earnings potential. If the accident has cost you a promotion or made you miss some other opportunity for advancement, then you can be compensated for it. Testimony, sworn statements, and other documentation from your employer will be necessary to prove your claim. If you were on the fast track to promotion and higher earnings, you will need your bosses to vouch for you.
Making a Claim as an Entrepreneur
If you are not employed by a company but run your own business, you can claim compensation. You will need to demonstrate the amount of income you have lost by showing business records. It may be wise to get your accountant involved in explaining, describing, and clarifying the calculations to the court.
Other Considerations
There is a statute of limitations for such civil cases. You must file within a certain amount of time after the accident if you are to have any standing at all before the court. In most states, it is two years.
The earlier you file for lost wages compensation the more likely you are to gather the documentation you need to prove your economic losses. That is why you should start working with a lawyer soon after the accident.
Contacting Us
If you would like to speak with an experienced car accident attorney, please call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation.
Arlington (817) 522-4451
Dallas (972) 362-6848
Fort Worth (817) 764-1375
Plano (972) 354-4602
Cedar Hill (972) 338-9427
McKinney (469) 522-3688
Lewisville (972) 354-4605
Frisco (972) 725-7681
Grapevine (817) 835-8677
Irving (972) 354-4610
Keller (817) 204-0904
Garland (214) 572-2251
Denton (940) 222-4060
Addison (972) 564-8108
You can also contact us online by using our quick contact form.
