If you’ve been in a car accident and lost wages because of injuries, you could recover lost wages. Taking on the task of recovering lost wages is challenging because of complicated legal paperwork. Rather than taking on the complex task on your own, you’ll have better chances winning your case by hiring a car accident attorney.

The best way to determine if you qualify for recovering financial losses is if the car accident is someone else’s fault. If you’ve lost wages due to injuries, you’ll need proper documentation to prove that the person who caused the accident should pay for your losses.

Filing an Insurance Claim or Car Accident Lawsuit

After a car accident, you’ll need to work with your insurance company to pay for repairs and medical expenses. Depending on your policy, you might be able to recover wages for injuries that prevent you from going to work. For example, if you have a broken leg, you could recover lost wages from your insurance company. You might be able to recover lost wages if you’ve missed work due to PTSD or other related psychological disorders.

If your insurance company does not pay for lost wages, you can file a lawsuit against the person who caused the accident. You’ll have to prove that you didn’t cause the accident, and the police report should prove whether or not you are at fault.

Permanent Disability and Lost Wages

Some accidents can result in serious injuries that cause life-long disabilities. If you can no longer work because of a permanent disability due to a car accident, you might be able to recover lost wages and damages from lost earning abilities.

In some situations, you might have to move to a new job with lower wages because of your injury. If this is your case, you should be able to file a suit or claim against the person who caused this injury. You’ll need reports from your physician to prove you cannot work because of chronic injuries and pain.

Exacerbating Pre-Existing Conditions

Another issue that can increase your chances of recovering lost wages involves aggravating a pre-existing condition. If the accident worsened the problem, you can recover lost wages. You’ll have to prove the pre-existing condition wasn’t debilitating, but the accident made it so bad that you can no longer work.

What You’ll Need to Prove

In order to recover lost wages and lost earning potential, you’ll need to show your paychecks before the injury and after the injury. Self-employed people will need to show financial statements before and after the injury. Insurance companies and judges will need to see that you lost tips, benefits, and other income-related paperwork before they determine your awards.

Proving lost potential income can be challenging, as it involves predicting future wages. You’ll have to prove that the injury changes your ability to work, which reduces your future wages. Your lawyer will help you form your argument and will fight to prove your disability will reduce your finances and way of life.