Lost Wages Recovery After Car Accident?
Can I recover my lost wages in Mississippi after my car accident caused me to miss work? The answer depends on what happened. If you were not at work yet, or were at fault, or if no one was at fault, then you may not have a claim. But if someone else was at fault, you can make a claim against their insurance policy or against your uninsured motorist benefits. In Mississippi, lost wages would be an available remedy.
The focus of this blog is for non work related injuries in Mississippi that are caused by the fault of someone else.
Should your injuries cause you to be taken off work by a doctor, you are legally entitled to recover your lost wages. Be sure to keep track of any off work slips. Lost wages are a measure of damages just like medical bills and pain and suffering. There are 3 types of lost wages: 1) Past lost wages 2) Future lost wages and 3) Loss of wage earning capacity (for example: if a person worked full time before the accident but can now only work part time due to their injuries). These are recoverable against the person that caused the accident; however, you must be able to provide support for your claim. There are various ways to do this. Some examples include:
- Pre-injury check stubs
- Tax returns
- Bank statements
- Have your employer report lost wages on company letterhead
- Lost wage form completed by Human Resources
- Expert testimony: this is usually only warranted if your injuries are significant
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s fault and it is causing you a hardship by missing work, please call or text Chhabra & Gibbs at 601-948-8005 for a free and confidential consultation. The personal injury attorneys at Chhabra & Gibbs have handled thousands of Mississippi car wreck and other injury cases over the years, and would be happy to help take some of the stress off of your shoulders. We provide free consultations, there is no obligation to hire us, and we don’t charge you anything unless we are able to recover for you. But time is a factor, and the sooner you call us the sooner we can help you navigate the process of recovery.