In Arizona, personal injury lawsuits can take many different forms, but one of the most common issues they cause is lost wages. Lost wages describe the amount of money a person has lost while recovering from an injury. Loss of earning capacity involves future loss of earnings. These claims are usually contested unless the proof is strong. Fortunately, a personal injury attorney can help sort out the complicated process of filing a successful lost wages claim.
Often, injured individuals suffer from lost wages because their injury causes them to be out of work temporarily, leading them to miss out on making money. Of course, a drop in income can impact a person’s life drastically. It may be difficult to say when you’ll be able to work again. It becomes critical to adequately prove the lost wages so that you can receive some financial relief.
Fortunately, there are a few different ways you can prove your lost wages if you find yourself part of a personal injury claim.
First, you will need written proof from your medical provider that your lost wages for the dates you claim are due to your accident injuries preventing you from working.
Here are three common ways to prove the amount of your lost wages in a personal injury claim in Arizona:
Your expected pay rate and lost wages can easily be calculated by providing your W-2 from the last tax year, assuming that you’re still making about the same income. This method for proving lost wages is helpful if you’re still working at the same job you were for the past tax year, but if you’ve recently changed jobs with a significant change in your income, this may not be an accurate method.
Pay stubs are a simple and accurate way to show your normal income and calculate your lost wages. The best way to use pay stubs would be to acquire a pay stub from before your accident and compare that to your paystubs from after the accident, showing a direct comparison of how your income has changed due to your injury.
Lastly, you could have your employer provide a wage verification that states your typical income and your typical days or hours worked per pay period, plus how many days or hours you’ve lost from work since the accident.
It’s a good idea to hire a lawyer to help you prove lost wages. As if suffering from an injury wasn’t stressful enough, now you’re having to navigate legal issues, medical records and bills, plus the need for loss of earnings proof that is not yet created, on top of being out of work. The last thing you need is added stress and a longer to-do list. Hiring a lawyer takes away many of these complications and burdens.
A lawyer can help take on the work of proving your lost wages. All you’ll need to do is provide authorization and easily available documentation. The lawyer can take it from there. If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s carelessness, you should receive the full lost income compensation that the law supports.
A personal injury lawsuit can feel like the ultimate stressor in your life. At Jensen Phelan Law Firm, our specialists take pride in helping ease the burden so you can focus on recovering from your injury and feeling your best. As a law firm serving many areas in Arizona and specializing in personal injury lawsuits, we are the ideal choice for proving lost wages and ensuring that you receive the necessary compensation. Contact our injury lawyer specialists today at (928) 778-2660 or complete our online contact form, and we’ll be in touch shortly.