It’s not uncommon to miss weeks or even months of work while recovering from injuries and mental trauma after a car accident. However, missing work can be a stressor in itself. If you have missed work due to an accident, you may be wondering if you can recover your lost wages or if you will be out of money permanently.
The short answer is yes—you can typically recover lost wages resulting from a car accident in Connecticut. Read on to learn more about lost wages, how to retrieve them, and how our team at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers can help.
What Are Lost Wages?
Lost wages are the funds you would have earned had you not been injured in a car accident and therefore unable to work. For example, if you had to miss a month of work to recover from your injuries and did not get paid, your lost wages would equate to the amount of money you would have earned had you worked your regular schedule during that month.
If you are injured and no longer able to return to your previous position, lost wages can also encompass lost earnings potential, which represents funds you would have potentially earned had you continued working your regular schedule. These funds could include money from lost future promotions or lost financial opportunities.
Recovering Lost Wages After a Car Accident
If the other driver was at fault for your accident, you seek to recover your lost wages from the responsible driver’s insurance company. First, you will need to calculate how much money you lost, prove that you were unable to work, and determine whether to secure disability benefits in the meantime.
Calculating Lost Wages
Your first step in recovering lost wages is calculating the funds you would have received from your employer. This process is simple.
If you make an hourly rate, you can multiply that rate by the number of hours you would have worked. If you make a salary, simply divide your salary by 52 to determine your weekly rate, then multiply this number by the number of weeks you missed.
Proving Lost Wages
You will also need to present evidence that you were unable to work due to your car accident injuries. Your proof should consist of two components:
● A letter from your doctor detailing how your injuries prevented you from working; and
● A letter from your employer verifying that you missed work due to the accident and for how long, and detailing your pay rate.
You can send this evidence to the at-fault driver’s insurance company and request that the company pay you the money you lost during your recovery time.
Receiving Disability Benefits
You may also want to request short-term disability benefits from your employer to give you a cushion while you wait for your lost wages from the at-fault driver. You can discuss your options with your HR department to determine which disability benefits to apply for.
Speak with an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Today
Navigating car accident lost wages in Connecticut can be tricky, especially if you are still in pain. Sometimes, insurance companies fail to provide you with adequate funds even after you deliver proof of the money you lost during your recovery.
At Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers, we are prepared to take the legal burden off your shoulders and do everything we can to secure your funds quickly. We can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and will work tirelessly to recover your lost wages. If necessary, we can even take your case to court.
Contact our experienced car accident attorneys today for a free consultation