Posted in Car Accidents on February 17, 2021
Vehicle accidents are not uncommon in and around the Long Beach area. Additionally, it is also not uncommon for an accident victim to miss work in the aftermath of a car crash. If you are injured in a vehicle accident caused by another driver and have to miss work, you should be entitled to recover compensation for your lost wages. Here, we want to discuss the various types of lost wages you may incur after a car accident as well as the process of recovering the compensation you deserve.
Various types of lost wages following a car accident
If you are injured following a vehicle accident, then your injuries may prevent you from going to work at all. If this is the case, then your lost wages will be the entire amount of income that you do not earn during the recovery period.
Additionally, it may be the case that an injury victim is able to perform some but not their normal work functions. If a car accident injury victim has to work fewer hours or perform a job that pays less money while they recover, then they should be able to recover wage replacement compensation.
Finally, if an injury victim is temporarily or permanently disabled due to the car accident, this could impact their ability to work moving forward in the future. In these cases, victims may be entitled to compensation for a loss of future earnings or earning potential. If you have questions about what type of compensation may be recovered following a collision, speak with an experienced Long Beach accident attorney.
How can you recover lost wage compensation following a car accident?
There are various ways that car accident victims may be able to recover lost income. Ideally, the insurance carrier of the at-fault party would pay all of the victim’s economic losses, including the total amount of their lost income. However, insurance carriers are notoriously difficult to deal with, and they do not like making large payments.
If an insurance carrier refuses to pay lost wages, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. When this occurs, the case may still be settled during negotiations between both parties, but it may also be necessary to take the case all the way to a jury trial.
How are lost wages proven after an accident?
Proving lost wages following a vehicle accident in Long Beach will involve gathering various types of documentation. An injury victim or their personal injury attorney will need to obtain the following:
- Medical documentation showing that the victim cannot work
- Proof of how much of the victim had been earning, which can include gathering pay stubs, tax documents, etc.
Additionally, if the lost wage claim involves determining a loss of future earnings, economic experts may need to be consulted to determine how much the injury victim would have been expected to earn had they not been disabled due to their car accident injury.
Speak to an attorney as soon as possible
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in an accident caused by the actions of another driver, you need to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. A skilled lawyer can use their resources to investigate every aspect of your claim, determine liability, and help secure full compensation for your losses. This includes coverage of any lost wages you have incurred due to your car accident injuries. An attorney can work with trusted medical and financial experts to show why you are unable to work and document your total lost wages as a result of the incident.