When you’ve been injured in an accident, a common consequence is that you will be unable to work for a period of time. This loss of income can be extremely troublesome for injured people and their families. If proof of your lost wages is lacking, you may run into significant difficulty recovering for that claim. The good news is, you can protect your claim for lost wages if you follow these simple steps.
Get a disability slip from your doctor. Many employers do not require their employees to present disability slips in order to take time off from work. Consequently, patients frequently neglect to obtain them. An insurance company, on the other hand, will require disability slips for the entire period of time you claim you were unable to work. Be sure to maintain a continuous record of the days you were unable to work. If your disability slip is about to run out, but you do not feel able to go back to work, be sure to go back to your doctor as soon as possible to obtain an extension, if warranted.
Be aware that the liability carrier for the at-fault driver will not settle the claim until you’ve stopped incurring damages, i.e., you’ve completed treatment and returned to work. This can cause a significant delay in obtaining compensation for your time lost from work. If liability is disputed, you may even have to take your case to court before obtaining compensation. In the meantime, you can immediately obtain payment for your lost wages by making a claim to your own insurance company under your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.PIP will pay up to 2/3 of your lost wages. Of course, you will have to verify your time off with disability slips. Your rate of pay will also need to be verified in the form of pay stubs or tax returns, so be sure to retain records for the period of time around the accident.
Not everyone has a straightforward hourly employment. Some claims are much more difficult to estimate, for example, the claim of an independent contractor. Proving these claims sometimes requires the expertise of an economist. In these cases, maintaining detailed records of your income, including records of compensation for specific jobs before and after the accident, may make all the difference in proving you lost wage claim.
If you or a family member has been injured or killed in an automobile accident, truck, bus or motorcycle accident, and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on car accidents please feel free to contact our office at (410) 995-1515.
