When you are injured in an accident, you suffer a variety of different types of damages. Non-economic damages include loss of enjoyment of life, physical pain, permanent disability, scarring, mental anguish, and emotional suffering. Economic damages include your medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, transportation costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses related to your injury and your recovery. The non-economic damages are impossible to fully compensate because a monetary award can never undo the pain and suffering you experience because of a personal injury.
However, you are entitled to recover full compensation for your economic losses in a personal injury claim. The insurance company for the other person understands you are probably suffering a financial crisis if you are out of work due to your injury. The insurance adjuster may try to offer a low settlement figure to entice you to accept the offer so you can receive money right now. Do not fall for this tactic — discuss your claim with an experienced Boca Raton personal injury attorney before you agree to any settlement. You are entitled to be fully compensated for your lost wages and other economic damages.
What Is Included In A Lost Wages Claim?
When calculating lost wages, your personal injury lawyer will include past, present, and future lost wages. For example, if you were out of work, without pay, for three months because of the accident, your attorney includes the amount you would have earned had you been able to work in your claim for lost wages. In addition, if you lost bonuses or other compensation, those figures will be added to the amount of the claim.
A claim for lost wages can also include future lost wages. In the case of a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work, your attorney will include an amount for the income you would have earned had you been able to return to work after the accident. In many cases, a financial or economic expert will be used to calculate the future lost wages based on several factors, including your age, occupation, general health before the injury, and projected economic growth in your industry. The claim will also include anticipated raises, bonuses, and other forms of compensation you would have received had you continued to work.
What Is a Loss Of Earning Capacity?
Loss of earning capacity is included in a lost wages claim if you are able to return to work but you are unable to earn the same amount of income due to your injuries. For example, your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job; however, you are able to work in another field. Your new job earns substantially less than your old job and you will never be able to return to your old job due to your injuries. A loss of earning capacity claim can compensate you for the difference in the income you will earn versus the income you would have earned had you not been injured in the accident.
Hire A Boca Raton Personal Injury Attorney
A lost wages claim can be much more complex and difficult to calculate than one might assume. Hiring an attorney with experience handling complex personal injury claims is your best option to protect your right to receive full compensation for your damages in a personal injury case.
Contact the Boca Raton personal injury lawyers of The Broderick Law Firm, P.L. to discuss your lost wages claim. Contact our office today 1-800-333-3903 to schedule a free case evaluation and free, no obligation legal consultation.