If you’ve been injured as the result of someone’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation for your damages. Included in these damages is any money you lost because an injury forced you to remain out of work for a period of time. This is known as lost wages.
Past Lost Wages
When you’ve been injured, you might miss work because of surgeries, hospitalizations, and medical treatments. You might also miss work due to follow-up doctor’s appointments. Missed days of work can cause serious financial difficulties for some accident victims.
To prove lost wages, there must be evidence that you missed work as a direct result of your injury. This can be proven with medical records. Copies of pay stubs and income tax documents are necessary to show the number of wages lost.
Future Lost Wages
You may have sustained a serious injury that will impact your ability to work in the future. In that case, you may be able to recover for future lost wages. Future lost wages are calculated as a loss of income based on what you would actually lose in the future. To prove future lost wages, you must prove that the injury is permanent and that there is a reasonable probability of further loss.
A serious injury can have a lasting impact on your physical and mental capacity to earn wages in the future. Diminished earning capacity is a loss of future earnings due to a salary reduction or a shortened lifespan. Your salary could be reduced because now, for example, you’re only capable of working part-time. You could recover future lost wages based on the difference between what you earned before the accident and what you’re capable of earning in the future.
Proving diminished earning capacity will usually involve the use of experts who will analyze your situation and issue an opinion on what they think you would have made if your injury had not altered circumstances. The necessary evidence may include:
- Medical expert opinions on whether a full recovery from your injury is possible and if not, an idea of what your capabilities and limitations might be
- Evidence of how your injuries might affect your ability to perform your job
- Financial expert opinion comparing what your income could have been if you were not injured and what you could reasonably expect to earn post-injury.
Contact an Experienced Maryland Personal Injury Attorney
If you’ve lost wages due to an injury caused by someone’s negligence, you need the assistance of an experienced attorney. The attorneys at Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers, LP, have over 30 years of experience in personal injury cases and will evaluate your case for free. Contact us online or call us at 301-381-2655 to schedule your free consultation.