How Do I Recover Lost Wages in My Injury Claim?

The injuries you incur after your personal injury accident may be severe enough that your doctor advises you to take some time off from work. This may be particularly stressful for you if you are the primary financial provider for you and your domestic family. What’s worse is if the time it takes to reach a full recovery is unknown or predicted to be long-term. For these reasons, one of the major economic damages that personal injury plaintiffs pursue is lost wages. That said, please read on to discover how to recover lost wages in your legal claim and how a seasoned Passaic County personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of August R. Soltis can help you get the full financial compensation you deserve.

How do I accurately calculate my total lost wages?

Say you have already returned to work by the time you bring your personal injury claim forward. Well then, calculating your total lost wages may be relatively straightforward. For this, you may simply take the specific period you were unable to work and multiply it by your usual rate of pay. If you get paid with an annual salary rather than an hourly rate, you may break it down to get the approximate amount you should get paid per hour. Things may get trickier if you are self-employed. In this case, you may have to look at your profit and loss statements to figure out how much total earnings you missed out on during your time off.

Or, say that you have yet to return to work. With this, you may also want to claim future lost wages and even a future lost earning capacity. For future lost wages, you may take the specific period you are expected to stay out of work, per your doctor’s guidance, and multiply it by your usual rate of pay. For your future lost earning capacity, you may need to calculate the difference between your original earnings from your expected earnings at your new lower-paying job. You must also not forget your lost overtime opportunities and annual bonuses, if promised in your employment agreement. So, given these extenuating factors, and to ensure that you do not miss out on recovery, it may be in your best interest to hire a forensic accountant for your legal team.

How do I recover lost wages in my personal injury claim?

Your word and calculations alone may not be enough to convince the New Jersey civil court of your incurred lost wages. Rather, you must back up your claims with sufficient evidence, including the following:

• A doctor’s note confirming your inability to work in your field now, in the future, and/or indefinitely, given your injuries.
• An employer’s letter confirming the period you were unable to work due to your injuries, in the past, now, and/or future.
• A supervisor’s testimony regarding your missed opportunities for raises, promotions, etc., during your time away from work.
• Your recent pay stubs to confirm your standard earnings, and tax returns to confirm your earnings history and potential.
• An economist’s expert testimony on the lost wages and earning capacity you will suffer in the future from your injuries.

If you are ready to put up a fight for the financial compensation to which you are entitled, do not hesitate any longer and please retain our services. A competent Passaic County personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of August R. Soltis is ready and willing to serve you.