Car AccidentsDetermining Lost Wages After A Car Accident In California

November 22, 20190

Whether we pursue your personal injury case by filing a claim with an insurance company or through a purposefully designed lawsuit filed in civil court, the purpose of our case is to ensure the negligent parties are held financially accountable for the damages they cause our clients.

At Binder & Associates, our EncinoCalifornia personal injury lawyers provide a complete outline of the damages you have suffered, including lost wages. Lost wages are the result of physical injuries that interfere with our client’s ability to work and earn a paycheck immediately — or in the future.

How Does The Law Define Lost Wages After An Accident Injury?

Personal injury victims have the right to seek financial compensation for their economic damages, which can include medical expenses and lost wages or earnings when they must miss work because of their injuries.

If your injury requires you to miss work and lose wages and benefits you would have earned — now, temporarily, in the future, or permanently — we will seek recovery of your total losses, so you are not left paying for the fallout caused by someone else’s negligence.

Calculating the Amount of Lost Wages

Your lost wages calculations will differ depending on whether you are paid an hourly wage or have an annual salary.

If you are paid by hourly wage:

Take your hourly wage and multiply that by the number of hours missed due to the accident.

For example, if your hourly wage is $20 and you missed 3 days (8 hours per day) the calculations is $20 x24 hours = $480. That is your total lost wages from the accident.

If you are paid by annual salary:

You will take your yearly salary and divide it by 2080 (which is the number of work hours in a year) and multiply that number by the hours you missed due to the accident.

For example, if your yearly salary is $40,000, and you missed 3 days (24 hours) of work, your calculation will be (40,000/2080) x (24 hours) = 461.54 and that is your total lost wages.

There will also be:

  • Overtime you regularly make by missed
  • Lost promotion opportunities
  • Lost wage increases
  • Lost sales commissions
  • Lost bonus payments

How Will Binder & Associates Assess My Case To Pursue Lost Wages?

Many factors go into the calculation of lost wages after an accident, and at Binder & Associates, our Los Angeles County car accident attorneys focus on the unique details of your case to determine the exact compensation figure necessary to make you whole again.

Those details can include:

  • How consistent your earnings were before the accident
  • Whether your injuries are temporary, like a broken arm, or are permanent, like a brain injury
  • The scope of the injuries or disabilities, and how long they will keep you out of work
  • Whether you can perform other types of work while you heal, which could include a modified position within your existing employment
  • The nature of your current work and the amount of pay you received before the accident
  • The loss of benefits you would have enjoyed, including health insurance or social security contributions
  • The total amount of work you missed after your accident

At Binder & Associates, our personal injury attorneys in Encino will gathering evidence, document the facts in your case, and record your medical requirements and lost earnings to fully outline your financial recovery, so we can pursue the best outcome available for your unique injuries.

If you have been hurt in a crash, and are unable to work because of your injuries, contact our experienced personal injury lawyers in Encino, California today by calling (818) 659-8588 to schedule a free consultation. We can help you pursue the financial recovery you deserve, so you can focus on getting your life back.