Ask a Car Accident Injury Lawyer: Will I Get Compensation for Missing Work?
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you should contact a car accident injury lawyer in San Antonio. Another person’s negligence shouldn’t result in your financial loss.
With the help of the right car accident lawyers, You can prepare a lawsuit to try to recover the financial damages in your case. Your compensation can include the damage to your car, money to cover medical bills, insurance payments, and more. But can you get paid for missing work?
Ask a Car Accident Injury Lawyer in San Antonio: Will I Get Compensation for Missing Work?
It is possible to get compensation for missing work after you’ve been injured in a car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident. Many other kinds of motor vehicle accidents can also qualify for this kind of compensation; for more information, click here. In order to get compensation for missing work, you will need to file a lawsuit with the help of a lawyer. The money you would have made from work can be added to the total you sue for.
It’s important to take action quickly. When you start your lawsuit promptly, it’s easier for your lawyer to gather evidence regarding your case. In addition, starting a case quickly can help you get compensation faster. Lawsuits usually take several months to settle. Furthermore, San Antonio, TX has a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims. If you wait too long, your case may not be admissible. Contact a San Antonio personal injury lawyer as soon as you can.
Calculating Lost Wages As Part of Your Economic Damages
Missing work is formally known as lost wages. Lost wages fall into the category of economic damages, which are those financial losses that can be directly attributed to your injury. You will need to provide evidence to demonstrate financial losses. Car repair costs, insurance payments, and medical expenses can all be easily demonstrated with bills and receipts. To recover lost wages, you have to provide proof of your income. For a salary employee this is fairly simple.
Hourly employees should also bring pay stubs to show how many hours they normally worked before the accident. However, many people work freelance or as independent contractors. Others run their own small business. How can you calculate your lost wages in these cases? Courts will typically look at previous earnings statements. You can bring bank statements to show income, estimated quarterly tax payments, or contracts that had yet to be completed. These documents can demonstrate how much you expected to earn.
Recovering Lost Wages Into the Future
In some cases, the injuries you sustain in a motor vehicle accident could leave you permanently affected and unable to work for a prolonged period of time. Perhaps you will be able to work, but not in the same capacity. A major injury could rule out work that involves heavy lifting, making it impossible to continue in your line of work. Fortunately, it’s possible to also seek compensation in these cases.
If medical professionals can attest that you will be unable to work in the same way for an extended period of time, your lawsuit can seek compensation for future lost wages. In some cases, this can be an indefinite ruling that gives you a payment for life. In others, payments may be awarded for a set period of time until you are expected to recover from your injuries to the fullest extent possible.
Recovering Economic Damages With a Car Accident Injury Lawsuit
You only get one opportunity to file a lawsuit, so it’s important to make sure you do so correctly and get the most compensation possible. Your lawsuit will name the other party and declare an amount that you seek in economic damages. You can also add another amount for your pain and suffering, also known as “noneconomic damages” in the state of Texas. A lawyer will advise you on how much to sue for and will make sure your numbers are backed with evidence.
Once your lawsuit is filed, the defending party receives a notice from a process server. If they accept the lawsuit outright, or refuse to file an answer, then you can win the full amount with a single court visit. However, in most cases, the defending party will bring their lawyers in to fight the case. As your car accident lawyer presents your evidence, the other party may offer a settlement to close the case out of court.
You Need a Car Accident Injury Lawyer in San Antonio
Car accident cases are incredibly common in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, one person is injured every two minutes and twelve seconds! Many of these cases aren’t pursued in court because people are unaware of their rights and the options available.
With the help of an experienced attorney, it’s possible to recover your damages, including lost wages. Contact a car accident lawyer in San Antonio to learn more.
