The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the costs of medical care and productivity lost as the result of car accidents exceeded $75 billion in 2017. Among the many costs that people face due to car accidents are lost wages from time off work. Not being able to work and losing a paycheck, as a result, can place a person in a difficult financial situation.
Some people are forced to use vacation and sick time to recover from their injuries, and others end up losing their jobs altogether.
You have a right to be reimbursed for past and future lost wages if someone else caused your accident. Obtaining compensation often involves providing documentation, including a doctor’s note excusing you from work and employment documents verifying your wage or salary information and time missed from work. While it helps to contact an attorney to pursue compensation, it also helps to understand some of the issues involved in calculating and pursuing lost wages.
Compensation is Available for Paid Time Off
Some employers provide workers with benefits packages that include benefits like paid time off, personal days, sick days, and vacation days. It often becomes necessary to use personal days while recovering from injuries caused by car crashes. These benefits allow workers to maintain income even when they are not working. If you use up these benefits while recovering from your injuries, however, you might not be able to take time off for other emergencies down the road. This is why workers can receive compensation for any paid benefits that were used during the recovery process.
People commonly ask how sick and vacation days that are used while recovering from injuries are treated during the compensation process. Accident victims have a right to be compensated for PTO. The value of these days is often the equivalent of one day’s pay. As a result, if a person earns $200 a day, the person has a right to be compensated $200.
How Lost Wages are Treated for the Self-Employed
Fortunately, lost wages are available for self-employed individuals. Self-employed people can receive compensation, but establishing the amount lost is often a more complex process. It is necessary to present the court with both evidence establishing that a self-employed person lost income as a result of injury as well as the value of the lost compensation. Some of the evidence that self-employed people can use to show the extent of their lost wages includes previous state and federal income tax returns, 1099s, proof of work that could not be completed due to injuries, and bank statements.
Speak with a Car Accident Attorney Today
If you or a loved one was involved in a Missouri car accident, you are likely facing a variety of challenges including financial complications caused by lost wages. Fortunately, if someone else is responsible for your accident, you have the right to pursue compensation. An experienced accident attorney can help make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation possible. Contact House Law LLC today to schedule a free case evaluation.
Tags: auto accident, car accidents
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