When you think about losses incurred from a motor vehicle accident, you likely initially think of the expenses for medical treatment of your injuries. However, there are many other kinds of losses that an injured accident victim may incur. One of the most important losses to realize is lost income.
Injuries can keep you from working
Many different injuries may require you to take time off to rest or may prevent you from adequately performing your job duties until you recover. While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)1 allows injured workers in Michigan to take time off due to illness or injury, it does not provide for payment during that time and many employers may not offer enough paid time off to cover the full length of your recovery. This means that you may lose income and other compensation during your time off work. Fortunately, it is possible to receive compensation for this type of loss through either a successful insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. In order to be successful, you must provide evidence to prove the amount of income you lost.
Proving past lost income
In order to prove your past income, you must demonstrate the following:
- The amount of time you missed due to your injury.
- The amount of compensation you would have received from your employer during that time.
Medical records can be used to prove the type and severity of the injury that you sustained to show that the time off work was necessary. Additionally, you can provide time sheets and pay statements to show the wages, overtime, and other benefits you would have received.
Proving future lost income
If you have sustained a serious injury, you may still be missing work during your claim. In this case, you have to estimate the amount of time your will miss in the future and the income that you will lose. If your injury has left you with a permanent impairment or disability that prevents you from ever returning to your job, you are entitled to recovery for your future lost earning power. These calculations can be extremely complex and can involve inflation, work-life expectancy, and more. Financial experts are often required to sufficiently prove future income losses.
If you fail to seek recovery for the full amount of past and future lost income in your injury claim, you will not have another opportunity to do so. For this reason, it is critical to make sure that all of your lost income is properly calculated and sufficient evidence is provided so that your insurance company or the negligent party will compensate you for the full amount of your wage losses.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we regularly assist injured accident victims in recovering for the full amount of their losses, including all past and future lost income. Please do not hesitate to call to discuss your case for free at 313-GET-HELP today.
References:
1http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/0,4614,7-147-68410_60360-281961--,00.html