Car accidents can affect your life in a number of ways. You might feel pain from your injuries, you might have no transportation, and you can almost count on losing at least some time from work. Not being able to work can produce a cascade of problems that affect your ability to pay for the necessities of life and pay your bills. It's vital that you take legal action against the at-fault driver so that you can be paid for your lost wages along with the other forms of money damage. Read on to learn more about what is meant by lost wages and how to make sure you get paid for this important damage category.
What Are Lost Wages?
Accidents will place a wall between you and many of the things you are used to doing. In most cases, your time away from work begins the moment of the accident. Once you are released from the hospital, the havoc wreaked by the accident only continues in a different manner. Take a look at the following list of common accident-related tasks that might impact your ability to work at your job:
- Recuperating at home.
- Attending physical therapy appointments and follow-up appointments with your doctor.
- Going to the pharmacy to pick up medications.
- Attending diagnostic testing appointments mental health-related appointments.
- Dealing with your wrecked car, renting a car, buying a new car, etc.
- Commuting back and forth for any of the above.
Keeping Up With Lost Wages
It's not enough to know what you are entitled to in the form of personal injury compensation from lost wages. You must show proof of your losses. As early as your first appointment with your personal injury attorney, have on hand a copy of your pay stub or statement that shows what you normally earn. No matter how you are paid, you are eligible for lost wages. If you are a salaried worker, speak to your human resources or payroll department about proof of income, if necessary. For the self-employed, have a copy of your most recent tax return on hand.
Paid Time Off and Lost Wages
To help lessen the financial impact of an accident on your budget, you may have used some of your job benefits to help bridge the gap. If you used any type of paid time off offered by your employer to fill in time spent for accident-related purposes, keep up with it because you are entitled to reimbursement.
Speak to a personal injury attorney like Carl L. Britt, Jr. to learn more about getting paid for lost wages.
After I was with some people who robbed a store, I was placed in a really bad situation. I was being accused of committing the bulk of the crime, but I knew I was innocent. I started working with a criminal attorney for help, and it was the difference I needed to prove my innocence. I decided to start a new blog that centered around defending yourself, because whether you like it or not, it may be necessary from time to time. Check out these posts for great information on working with lawyers when you need to fight for your rights in court.