Each year car accidents result in serious injuries and lasting physical limitations for the victims of collisions. Due to the serious nature of injuries, many people have to miss work or other income opportunities during hospital stays and recovery periods. As the victim of a car accident, you have a legal right to recover lost wages that resulted from the auto accident.
What are Lost Wages?
Compensation or damages that specifically cover the amount of earnings lost because the auto accident injuries prevented you from returning to work are referred to as lost wages. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, lost income can include several different types of economic earnings. First, lost wages refers to the income not earned during the period you cannot work.1 Second, lost earning capacity refers to income lost because the auto accident caused a long-term disability.2 For instance, if a serious auto accident results in an amputation for a worker who is a laborer then finding employment post-injury may be difficult, require new training, and may result in a decrease in pay wages. Thirdly, you can recover for lost opportunities such as missing a promotion or job interview.3
How to Recover Lost Wages?
It is important to seek the counsel of an attorney who can help calculate lost wages and file claims on your behalf. Other important steps in recovering from missed work after an auto accident is gathering the proper documentation. There are three preliminary documents that are important to gather during the initial stages of filing a claim to recover lost wages: a letter from your physician describing your injuries and how the injuries have kept you from work, a letter from your employer verifying your absence was due to your injuries, and a copy of the police report from the collision.4 These basic information will aid in initiating an auto accident and personal injury claim.
Contact an Experienced St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have been in a car accident with resulting injuries you have a right to recover past and future lost wages. Seeking the advice of an experienced auto accident attorney can help you to determine what claims should be filed and protect your rights and interests as a victim of a car accident. To contact an auto accident attorney for a free consultation please feel free to call the The Bruning Law Firm trial attorneys at 314-735-8100.
LET US GET STARTED ON YOUR ST. LOUIS CAR ACCIDENT CASE TODAY
If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured in an auto accident, contact The Bruning Law Firm today. We provide the comprehensive, professional legal representation you deserve at a time when you need it most.
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