Posted in General on April 7, 2025
Curious about what to do if you have missed work and lost wages after an accident? You may be entitled to compensation, even if you are a gig worker or your hours were reduced due to your injuries. Here is more about what you can do if you have missed work and lost wages after a crash, what to document, and how your Long Beach car accident claim can include lost income.
Documenting Lost Wages After Your Car Accident
If you missed work after a crash, the first step toward recovering those wages is proving how much income you lost. Insurance companies do not accept verbal statements alone. You need documentation that clearly shows your earnings before and after the accident.
Pay Stubs, Tax Returns, and Employer Letters
The most effective way to show wage loss is through consistent paperwork. This can include recent pay stubs, W-2 forms, past tax returns, or a letter from your employer confirming the missed days. Hourly workers may need to submit a shift schedule or timesheet, while salaried employees can request HR to verify pay reductions due to injury-related absences.
Freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners may need to rely on 1099s, invoices, or bank deposits. California Civil Code § 3281 supports your right to recover financial losses when you provide clear and credible proof. We help clients organize these materials and explain their value to the insurance company or the court.
If Your Recovery Involves Ongoing Treatment or Missed Shifts
Some injuries require ongoing care, which can mean repeated absences even months after the crash. Physical therapy, follow-up appointments, and flare-ups may prevent you from working full-time or at all. These extended wage losses can be just as significant as your initial time off.
In a Long Beach personal injury claim, we include projected wage losses based on your medical records and recovery plan to make sure your financial impact is fully accounted for.
Calculating Wage Loss After a Catastrophic Injury
When an injury prevents you from returning to your job or continuing in your career, calculating lost wages becomes more complex. It is not just about missed paychecks. Your entire earning potential may be reduced because of physical or cognitive limitations. Factors that impact long-term wage loss include:
- Type of job held at the time of injury
- Average weekly earnings before the accident
- Medical prognosis
- Level of education or training
- Physical or cognitive restrictions
- Missed promotions or training opportunities
- Forced early retirement
- Need for vocational rehabilitation
- Transfer into a lower-paying job due to injury
When injuries are permanent or involve a spinal cord injury in Long Beach, long-term wage loss calculations often require professional input. Economists and vocational rehabilitation experts can estimate what your lifetime earnings might have been without the crash. California Civil Code § 3333 allows compensation for loss of future income and diminished earning capacity when the proof supports that claim.
Filing a Claim for Lost Income After an Accident
Most wage loss claims are submitted as part of your Long Beach truck accident case, not through a separate lawsuit. This is why timely documentation and proper legal support are so important. Insurance companies often reject or reduce wage-related damages if you do not back them up with detailed proof.
Delayed or vague paperwork can create serious problems in wage claims. If your employer’s letter is missing dates or your doctor’s note does not explain work restrictions, insurers may deny compensation. Clear records that link your time away from work directly to the accident are essential.
When Self-Employment or Variable Income Makes the Claim More Complex
If you are self-employed or earn variable income, you may need to submit tax returns, profit and loss statements, or even client invoices to show what you missed. Commission-based workers often need to average earnings over time to present a fair estimate.