Claiming Lost Wages After a Car Accident

The financial burden of being involved in an accident can be overwhelming for victims who may be required to pay off mounting medical debt and repair or replace their vehicles, all while trying to heal after an injury. This can be particularly daunting for those whose injuries are so severe that they are required to take time off from work. While it is possible for injured parties to recover compensation for their lost wages after an accident, doing so can be difficult. For this reason, it is important for Florida motorists who are injured in car accidents and are forced to miss work because of their injuries, to speak with an experienced Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney about seeking compensation for the wages they lost during that period of time.

What are Lost Wages?

Lost wages are the funds that an injured party would have earned from his or her employer if he or she hadn’t sustained an injury in the accident in question. The amount of lost wages incurred by a person is usually calculated from the time of his or her accident to the time of settlement or judgement.

Options for Recovering Lost Wages

Car accident victims have a few different options when attempting to recover lost wages after a collision. For instance, injured motorists can submit an official request to their insurance company, asking for compensation for lost wages through their Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy. While PIP policies are most commonly used to help injured parties pay off medical expenses, they can be used in some cases to cover lost wages. It is important to note, however, that PIP policies will only cover around 60 percent of a claimant’s lost wages.

Those who choose to go this route should be sure to retain all documentation related to their lost wages from the date of the accident. Unfortunately, this process can be time-consuming and could leave an injured party without access to funds until the claim is resolved.

Alternatively, an injured motorist could file a claim with the other driver’s insurer (after seeking compensation from his or her own insurance provider). This is a common choice for motorists whose injuries were severe, as the $10,000 minimum could be entirely used up in paying for medical bills, leaving inadequate funds to cover lost wages. Finally, injured parties whose losses exceed an insurance policy’s coverage may need to file a claim against the at-fault individual in court.

Calculating Lost Wages

Whatever option an injured motorist chooses when attempting to collect lost wages after an accident, the success of his or her claim will depend on the accuracy of the calculations. These wage loss calculations should account for the person’s hourly wage or salary, as well as the number of hours missed due to injury.

Call Our Legal Team for Help with Your Case

To speak with an experienced Florida car accident lawyer about your own options for recovering compensation for lost wages after a crash, please call Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 today.

Resources:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.736.html

floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/computing-economic-damages-in-florida-wrongful-death-and-personal-injury-cases/

https://www.booneanddavislaw.com/the-dangers-of-drowsy-driving-2/