Calculating Wage Loss in Your Car Accident Compensation

Whenever you are involved in a car accident resulting in injury you are entitled to pursue compensation for your losses. This includes financial loss from medical bills as well as damage to your vehicle. What many Missouri residents fail to realize is that they are also allowed to ask for the wages they have lost as a result of the accident.

In order for you to file a claim for compensation after an accident, you typically must be able to show proof that the crash was the result of reckless or negligent behavior from another party. When you do, you are able to ask that all of your medical care, both present and future, that arose from the accident be paid for by the party responsible. You may also submit repair bills from your damaged car for compensation. In addition, be sure to include the amount lost from missing work as a result of those injuries.

If you are an employee who receives a regular salary, calculating those losses should be relatively straight forward. Where it starts to get complicated and the need for a St. Louis car accident attorney arises, is when the injury has caused you to miss a long period of work and you are still not sure when you will be able to return. At that point it becomes more difficult to determine exactly how much compensation for wage loss you should be receiving.

In cases that are clear cut, and you are able to return to work, you should generally receive the exact amount that you missed out on. You will probably need a confirmation letter from both your employer and physician, but in these types of situations that number can rarely be refuted.

The knowledge of a car accident attorneyis helpful when you are still not able to return to work and have to start factoring in the loss of bonuses, commissions, and salary increases. If you are unsure when you will return this will prove difficult and you can expect a lot of opposition from the defense attorney. Don't despair, a Missouri car accident victim who had estimated her losses to be $7,000 in wages was able to settle her car accident claim for $75,000 even though in addition to the lost wages her medical expenses were only $9,000.

If your injuries are so severe from a car accident that you are never able to return to work, you will likely need additional aid from a forensic economist. This is an expert in economics who can calculate all of your future wages lost.

A car accident victim deserves to be compensated for all of the losses they incur as a result of another person's negligence. If you have recently been involved in an accident and are missing an extensive amount of work, contact a St. Louis car accident attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. to assist you in recovering all of your lost wages, both present and future. Call (314) 361-4242 to schedule a free consultation.