If you sustained injuries because of a car accident, you may have significant medical bills and pain and suffering. Also, you may not be able to go to work because of your injuries. Although it is usually easy to get compensation for medical bills, you may find it hard to get the necessary documentation to prove lost wages in a car accident case. Because of this, it is often best to work with a car accident attorney Albuquerque, NM instead of handling your claim alone.
What are Lost Wages
After you suffer serious injuries in a car accident, you may not be able to report to work for a while. The days you were absent from work indicate the amount of wages you were not able to earn because of your accident-related injuries. No matter how many weeks or months you have not been able to go to work, the salaries you would have earned during this period are lost wages that you want to be compensated for in your car accident claim.
Creating a Claim for Lost Wages
The insurance provider may require you to provide them with an independent medical exam, employment authorization that let your employer give documentation about your wages, and medical documentation that proves the seriousness of your injuries. Make sure you only give what the insurance company needs to process your claim. The insurance company may try to request you to provide them with a full medical history, which you should not agree to.
In addition, you may also need to give a doctor’s note confirming your disability or inability to work because of your car accident injuries. Other documents you will give the insurer include wage documents or paystubs that confirm your wage amount. Secure a letter from your employer indicating the days you were absent and the house you missed during every payday. Ensure this amount includes your base pay, bonuses, or overtime.
Moreover, if your employer forced you to take a vacation or sick leave because you cannot return to work, ensure you include such amounts as well. After all, you wouldn’t have used these vacation time or sick days if not because of your injuries. Lastly, if you cannot go to work for a long time, this could mean you cannot get an expected pay raise and employee perks. Thus, all of the benefits and perks that you have missed while you cannot return to work because of your car accident injuries must be included in calculating your lost wages.
