If you have suffered an injury in a slip-and-fall accident, motor vehicle accident, or other personal injury accident, your injuries may have hindered your critical abilities needed to fulfill the duties of your job. Therefore, you may have missed a significant amount of work which has resulted in lost wages. Essentially, lost wages refer to the income that you have not been able to receive because your injuries have prevented you from working. In New York, if your injuries were the direct result of someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to file a claim to seek monetary compensation for your damages. Many often wonder what exactly is recoverable in a personal injury case. Please continue to follow along to learn whether you can sue for lost wages in a personal injury case and how a proficient New York City Personal Injury Attorney can help you with your legal options moving forward.
How can I sue for lost wages in a personal injury claim in New York?
In New York, if you are injured due to another person’s negligent actions, you can file a claim to seek financial compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. Essentially, economic damages are any calculable expenses or out-of-pocket losses. Non-economic damages are not calculable, but they are subjective losses. Economic damages may include property damage, medical bills, vocational rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, and lost wages. Non-economic damages may include emotional distress, inconvenience, pain and suffering, loss of society and companionship, and loss of enjoyment of life. As you can see, lost wages are considered economic damages as they are quantifiable. You can sue for past and future lost wages in a personal injury case. Unfortunately, following any type of accident, your injuries may result in permanent disability which diminishes your ability to perform your previous duties. Nevertheless, to recover lost wages, you must prove that your injuries prevented you from working. The following evidence can help you prove your lost wages:
- Medical bills and records.
- Paystubs and tax returns.
- A wage verification from your employer that corroborates the dates and shifts you’ve missed due to your injuries.
- Expert testimony from a doctor and/or therapist confirms your physical trauma and occupational limitations as a result of your injuries.
- Statements from witnesses.
- Statements from loved ones that explain the negative effects your injuries have had on your everyday life.
If you can present the above-listed evidence to prove your injuries prevented you from working, you may be awarded monetary compensation for your past and future lost wages.
In the unfortunate event that you or someone you care about has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please don’t hesitate to consult with one of our experienced and dedicated attorneys. Our firm is committed to helping our clients seek reasonable compensation for economic and non-economic losses.
