Have you been injured and can no longer work as before? You’re probably missing out on money you would normally earn. After an accident, whether at work or elsewhere, an attorney can help you determine how much money you lost by not working and how much you could lose later because of your injuries.
Lost wages are how much money you’ve already missed, while future earning capacity is how much your injury might prevent you from working the way you used to, and you deserve compensation for both.
If you don’t know where to start, lawyers of Abels & Annes, PC., can guide you through the process. They will help you understand how to prove your lost wages and lost earning capacity, ensuring you get the compensation you deserve.
Ways to Prove Your Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
To ensure you get the compensation you deserve for your lost wages, you must provide solid proof of the amount of income you lost due to the injury.
Here is a very detailed description of what you need to do and what type of evidence you need to gather.
Get your pay stubs
The first step is to gather all the payroll records you have before the injury. This includes pay stubs, W-2 forms, or any other official documents showing how much you earned.
The goal is to prove what your regular income was like before the injury, so the insurance company or court has a baseline for your loss of salary. These records will give a clear picture of what you were earning weekly, monthly or annually.
Track how long you missed work
You will also need to keep track of the exact dates and times that you were unable to work due to the injury. This is essential because you will need to show how long the injury kept you from working. Keep a detailed record of those missed work days (whether you’re off for a few days, weeks, or months). The more specific you are, the better, so be sure to include specific times you missed, not just days.
Ask for a doctor’s note
A doctor’s certificate can be a big help in confirming that your injury is the reason you were unable to work. The note should explain what your injury is, how it affected your ability to perform your job, and how long you were unable to work because of it.
This rating serves as professional validation of your assertion that your injury directly impacted your ability to earn an income.
Calculate your lost wages
With your pay stubs and the number of missed work hours, you will need to calculate how much money you lost due to the injury.
This can be done by multiplying your hourly wage by the hours missed or by using your regular salary to calculate the loss of income for each day of work missed.
If the injury lasted longer, you must calculate this loss over a period of weeks, months, or how long it took you to return to work.
Show your tax returns
Tax Returns are another important piece of evidence to support your claim. They show how much you earned before the injury and can highlight any discrepancies between your income before and after the injury.
These documents serve as a financial snapshot of your overall income and can provide further proof of the financial impact the injury has had on your life.
