If you are in a car accident, your car insurance company may reimburse you for lost wages.

Your eligibility depends on your car insurance and ability to file the claim with the proper information.

What Are Lost Wages?

An injury that you get in a car accident can keep you from going to work and earning the money that you normally would have received if you had not been injured in the accident.

Lost wages refer to those wages that you cannot earn because of your injury.

For example, if you have a broken hip and cannot get to work for 3 months, you are entitled to 3 months’ worth of wages If your car insurance policy covers lost wages (see “What You’ll Need to File a Wage Loss Claim” below).

Lost income can include:

Lost wages for the period during which you do not work.

Lost earning capacity if you sustain a long-term disability from the accident and cannot make as much money as you did before the accident.

Lost opportunities, such as missing a job interview while you are recovering from the injury.

What You”ll Need to File a Wage Loss Claim

Generally, the following coverage types can be used to collect lost wages:

Liability bodily injury coverage. If you were injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence, you would be able to submit a lost wages claim through the at-fault driver”s bodily injury liability coverage.

Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Required in no-fault states and optional in some others, PIP pays for your injuries and lost wages up to your policy’s limits, without regard to fault.

With PIP insurance, you can collect against your own coverage even if you caused the accident.

Documenting Lost Wages

Once you are sure that your policy covers lost wages, you need to get your documentation together in order to file your claim.

Your paperwork should include the following.

A letter from online casino your physician*. The letter should describe your injuries and how long your injuries kept you from working. The letter should be as detailed as possible, with information on:

Treatments.

Prescriptions.

Medical bills.

A letter from your employer. The letter must verify that you missed work due to injuries.

If you are in an occupation that is not full-time and salaried (e.g., you are an independent contractor or self-employed), you may need to provide access to your tax returns.

* Your car insurance company may have its own form for your physician to fill out. Check with your auto insurance agent.

NOTE: You may recover lost wages for any time you needed to take during your recovery. If you took vacation leave or sick time to cover those hours, you are still eligible to collect lost wages for those hours/days.

Personal Injury Attorneys

A personal injury attorney can help guide you through the process of a wage loss claim. Attorneys can advocate for you to get as much as possible on your claim.

Car insurance companies will often use their experience to limit the settlement amount, but you can counter the “experience advantage” with representation. A personal injury lawyer will use his or her experience to level the playing field, increasing your odds of receiving a fair settlement.

If you have suffered a lost wage claim due to accident please contact us for a free consultation.