If you suffered an injury in an accident and you cannot work, you may want to recover compensation for your lost wages. Also, you can pursue future lost wages if you sustained a serious injury that makes you unable to work for a long time. Injury attorneys Huntington Beach can discuss the facts of your injury claim during your initial consultation to determine your legal options when you file a compensation claim. Read on to know the evidence you can use for proving lost wages following an accident.
Lost Income vs Future Earning Capacity
As an injured victim of an accident, you need to understand the kind of lost income you can pursue when you file an accident claim. This is because not all injured accident victims are eligible for the same kind of lost income.
Those who are temporarily unable to work can recover compensation for income lost until they can return to work. Once they return, they may be able to work on a part-time basis. But, those who sustain a severe injury may not be able to return to work or do the same kind of work they used to before the accident. They can pursue compensation for the loss of future earning capacity. If you want to pursue any kind of lost income, you must seek help from an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Proving Lost Income
Your injury lawyer in Huntington Beach will use medical evidence and financial information to validate your claim for either lost wages or loss of earning capacity. They should establish your inability to work in a similar capacity as before. They need documentation from your treating physician that explains the amount of work you can do and the reasons your ability to work has limitations.
In addition, your lawyer will collect financial information such as your W-2, pay stubs, income tax returns, and bank statements to prove your lost income. If your injury will put you permanently out of work, you must prove your future lost earning capacity. Your lawyer can do this by analyzing things like your age, kind of occupation, lost benefits, and predicted future raises or promotions.
Who Pays Lost Income?
Injured victims of accidents can sue the negligent party for their injuries. But, not all accidents that result in injuries qualify for compensation. Victims can only pursue compensation for lost income and loss of future earning capacity if they suffered an injury in an accident that resulted from another party’s negligence.
