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Proving Lost Wages After a Personal Injury

If you’re been injured in an automobile or other type of accident, there’s a good chance you will lose time from work for hospitalization, medical appointments, and recovery. You could be compensated for the lost wages you suffer as a result. But lost wages take many forms, and proving them could be a challenge depending on the severity of your injuries. You can count on the aggressive and dedicated personal injury lawyers of Hale & Monico to demand the compensation you deserve.

Types of Lost Wages

There are several different forms of lost wages that you need to discuss with your attorney. They include:

  • Lost income. This is the most straightforward type of lost wages and amounts to the money you could have earned had it not been for the injury.
  • Lost sick days, paid time off, or paid leave. Some victims need to use paid days off or paid leave to seek medical treatment or recover from their injuries.
  • Lost support due to wrongful death. Wrongful death is closely related to personal injury. If a parent, spouse, or other family member was supporting you and died from a personal injury, you could be compensated for this financial loss.
  • Lost future wages and lost earning capacity. This category applies where your injuries prevent future ability to earn at the same level of productivity, as well as future job advancements.

How are lost wages calculated?

Calculating lost wages can be tricky. Working with your Chicago personal injury attorney, you can determine the evidence you will need to support your demand for compensation. That evidence may include:

  • Records of missed time from work. Your employer will likely maintain records documenting how much work you’ve had to miss, how many sick days or leave you used, days you had to leave work early, etc. You should also keep your own records and evidence showing you were out, in case your employer doesn’t keep accurate records.
  • Pay and other records. Your pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns, and similar documents can prove the monetary worth of your missed time. They can also demonstrate any measures you may have been forced to take to support yourself. For instance, you may have had to run up a credit card to cover necessary expenses because you missed time from work.
  • Employer statements. These are valuable records that can substantiate not only the time you missed from work but details about your reduced job functions and decreased work abilities. These, in turn, may be used to support your claim for lost future wages and lost earning capacity.
  • Expert witness statements. An expert witness may be necessary to prove the extent of your lost future wages and lost earning capacity. Numerous factors go into calculating a reasonably certain dollar amount for these types of damages, so be sure to consult with your attorney.
  • Medical records. These not only prove the extent of your injuries and the procedures that caused you to lose time from work, they often contain work restrictions from doctors. Your medical records are some of the most important documents in your case and go a long way in establishing your damages.

Turn to Hale & Monico Today

At Hale & Monico, our goal is to put you back in the position you were in before your accident. While we can’t undo the physical injuries you’ve suffered, we can make sure you are fairly compensated by the at-fault party. Call us today to discuss your injury and get started on your case.