When you’ve been injured in a car accident, it is pretty common to miss work for several days, weeks, or even months while you’re recovering from your injuries. During this time, you normally are using up your paid time off or taking unpaid leave, depending on the policies at your place of work. Not working can put you in a difficult financial situation, especially with the added healthcare costs of treating your injuries. 

In the following paragraphs, we’ll discuss options for getting compensation for lost wages after a car accident.

Is It Possible to Recover Lost Wages From a Car Accident?

If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you have every right to demand compensation to reimburse you for the financial losses you sustained because of the accident. 

These losses could include:

• Wages
• Income
• Benefits
• Overtime

Compensation for lost wages is a common request in serious car accident cases, and your personal injury attorney should be able to advise you on the best way to approach this. 

Are You Eligible For Compensation if You Are Paid to Miss Work?

In many cases, you are eligible to for compensation for taking paid time off from work. Accident victims often have no choice but to use their paid time off to recover from the accident. This use of your vacation days, sick days, or other PTO is often limited and once it’s gone, it’s gone. This means if you were saving your paid time off for a vacation, or if you have another emergency later on, you may not have the time you need. 

How to Recover Compensation for Lost Wages

While each case is unique, there are a few general guidelines to follow that can help you recover compensation for lost wages:

Demonstrate Your Injury

Expect to face opposition from insurance companies when you pursue compensation for lost wages. Remember: insurance companies are not your friend—their job is to pay as little as possible in claims, so they company can keep as much money as possible. Insurance companies may claim that your injuries were not serious enough to require you to miss work. To protect yourself from this tactic, you can do two things:

• Involve your doctor: Your physician’s opinion will often hold a lot of weight with regard to your well-being. He/she should be able to confirm the level of damage your injury has caused, and the need for hospital stays, physical therapy, and missed work. 
• Get your medical records: Your medical records can be further proof of your doctor’s statements. You can use them to show the severity of your injury.

Show Proof of Lost Wages Due to Missing Work

If you have successfully claimed that your injuries had prevented you from working, the next step is to show proof that you actually did take the time off to heal. To do this, simply show relevant documents like:

• Time cards/sheets
• Letter from your employer
• Pay slips
• Income tax returns
• Any additional tax forms

If there is any other way to prove that you have missed time at work and suffered financially because of it, don’t hesitate to show it.

While this may seem fairly straightforward, personal injury cases can get complicated. This is why it’s important to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your vehicle accident. 

If you’ve been injured in an automobile accident, call Sam Harrold at Mountain State Law to fight for the compensation you rightfully deserve. Our team will meet with you for free to learn about your situation and determine if you have a case. We will do our best to take away the additional burdens of dealing with insurance agencies, bills collections, and other financial stressors so you can focus on your recovery.