What Are Lost Wages?
Lost wages refer to the income you lose when an injury prevents you from working. If you have been in a car accident or a slip-and-fall, you may need time off work. This time will help you recover.
During this time, you aren’t earning your regular paycheck, which can cause financial strain. The money you would have earned if you could work counts as lost income.
For a free legal consultation, call (303) 465-8733
How Do Lost Wages Happen?
Lost wages can occur for many reasons after an injury, including:
- You are physically unable to perform your job because of the injury.
- You need to attend medical appointments, such as seeing doctors or going to physical therapy.
- You may be recovering from surgery or treatments related to the accident.
- Sometimes, the injury keeps you from going back to work for a long time or even forever.
When you are out of work because of these reasons, the income you lose is what we refer to as lost wages.
How Can You Get Compensation for Lost Wages?
You can ask for money in a personal injury claim if someone else caused an accident that injured you. This money can cover your lost wages, as well as other expenses.
If someone else caused your injury, they should help you get back the wages you lost while you were not working. This key part helps you protect your financial health while you heal.
What Do You Need to Prove Your Lost Wages?
You must prove how much money you lost because of the injury to receive compensation for your lost wages. Here are some of the documents that can help support your claim for lost income:
- Doctor’s notes that confirm your injury and explain why you can’t work.
- Pay stubs from your job that show your regular income before the injury.
- A letter from your employer detailing how much work you’ve missed and how much money you would have earned during that time.
- Tax returns or other financial documents that reflect your past earnings, especially if you’re self-employed.
These documents are essential to prove your lost earnings and ensure you receive fair compensation.
Future Lost Wages: What Happens if You Can’t Work in the Future?
Sometimes, injuries are so severe that they affect your ability to work in the long term. If your injury keeps you from returning to your job for months or even years, you may qualify for future lost wages. You can seek this compensation for the earnings you would have made in the future if an injury had not occurred. If your injury makes you take a lower-paying job or work fewer hours, you can claim for lost future wages.
Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today
Lost Earning Capacity
In addition to lost wages and future lost wages, there’s another concept called lost earning capacity. This refers to the reduction in your ability to earn money in the future because of your injury. For example, if you can’t do the same job you had before the accident, you might not earn as much money. In a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for this loss of earning potential.
How Jordan Law Can Help You Recover Lost Wages
At Jordan Law, we understand that lost wages can cause significant stress after an accident. You rely on your income to pay your bills, support your family, and maintain your way of life.
Our skilled personal injury lawyers will work hard for you and get you compensation for all your lost wages.
We will help you collect the needed evidence. We will negotiate with insurance companies. If necessary, we will fight for your rights in court.
If you lost income because you couldn’t work for a few weeks, or if you have a long-term injury, Jordan Law can help you. We’ve been practicing solely personal injury law for twenty years. We will help you through each step of the process.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Call Jordan Law For a Free Consultation
Call Jordan Law today for a free consultation. If for any reason you don’t want to hire us, we’ll give you the names of other firms we respect to treat you with dignity and professionalism.
At Jordan Law, we are here to help you through this difficult time. We also serve clients in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Durango, Grand Junction and elsewhere across Colorado.