When you are injured in a Durham personal injury accident, you may be curious as to what type of compensation you are entitled to receive. When you are significantly injured, it isn’t uncommon for a doctor to write you out of work for a few days. In addition, handling the aftermath of a car accident can be a lengthy process. You may have to miss several hours of work a week in order to go to various medical appointments during your recovery process.
Fortunately, lost wages can be claimed and presented in the demand to the insurance adjuster. It’s important to accurately document and calculate lost wages for the best settlement result possible.
Documenting lost wages
The best thing you can do for your case is to document your lost wages accurately. If you are unsure of the best way to do this, ask your Durham Personal Injury Attorney for help. The most effective way to document any initial missed time due to the injuries you sustained in the accident is to get a note from your doctor. Whether he or she has suggested you not return to work for 2 days or 2 weeks, ask them to put this in writing and make sure you give a copy of this document to your Durham Personal Injury Attorney. Although in rare cases some adjusters may not ask to see the doctor’s note, it is always better to have the proof in case the adjuster does not want to accept your time missed from work.
For any time missed from work due to attending doctor’s appointments, write down your missed hours and appointment dates every single time. Having this written down and then being able to match them to your medical records which list each date of service will help back up any lost wages you are claiming.
If you are working with a Durham Personal Injury Attorney, ask for a form to record your lost wages. The form will usually require a signature from a supervisor or human resource manager who can serve as a witness to the missed hours you specified due to attending medical appointments related to your injuries.
Calculating lost wages
Determining lost wages is typically an easy calculation. To figure out how much income you missed out on due to your injuries, you need to know your regular hourly rate and the total hours you missed from work. For example, if you make $20 an hour and were written out of work 3 days, you lost out on $480 (8 hour days x 3 days missed = 24 hours missed; 24 hours x $20 an hour = $480). It’s important to keep an accurate total of your total hours missed, especially when you miss an hour here and an hour there to attend appointments. Your Personal Injury Attorney can help you review your calculation to make sure it is accurate.
The calculation isn’t always that easy, however. There are additional factors to consider when calculating lost wages. In serious accidents where significant injuries are incurred, time missed from work can be very lengthy and there are many other considerations at play. These alternate circumstances may result in a higher lost wage claim depending on your specific job and your specific injuries. If any of the following situations apply to you, you may want to consult a Durham Personal Injury Attorney for further help in claiming lost wages:
- Several months of missed work
- vacation/paid time off/sick day discrepancies
- pensions
- bonuses/commissions
- promotions
- loss of job
- light/restricted duty
- changing jobs to accommodate your medical restrictions
Being involved in an accident may seem overwhelming, but speaking to a Durham Personal Injury Attorney at Wallace Pierce Law could help you get on back on the right path to recovery. Call (919) 887-7892 today for a free consultation with an experienced Durham Personal Injury Attorney.