If you suffered serious or life-altering injuries in an accident, you could be entitled to compensation for lost income, healthcare costs, and other damages. Moreover, in addition to the past income you lost due to the accident, you could also recover future lost wages.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at Harrell & Harrell may prove future lost wages by gathering and presenting relevant evidence, including:
- Statements from your employer
- Medical reports
- Testimony from expert witnesses
An attorney can help you prove what you could have earned in the future had you not been injured in an accident.
How Does an Injury Attorney Calculate Damages?
In general, victims who were hurt due to another’s carelessness or negligent actions are entitled to damages for their injuries and financial expenses. Recovery from an accident injury could last weeks, months, or even years. In some cases, an individual may never be able to return to their job or career again. If this has happened to you, you could be entitled to both past and future damages.
Calculating Past Damages
Calculating past damages is straightforward. Victims typically have receipts, bills, and other types of evidence for past damages such as medical bills, past lost income, property damage, and others. The amount of past and current damages you can receive will generally depend on the severity of your injury, details of your financial losses, and other factors.
Calculating Future Damages
Future damages refer to the losses a victim expects in the future due to an accident. These types of damages are generally more difficult to determine as they have not occurred yet. There is no tangible proof or evidence for expected future damages. However, an accident attorney has a variety of tools that can help with estimating future damages.
Consulting with Medical Experts
If you have a significant injury, such as a spinal cord injury or permanent loss of mobility, your personal injury attorney can hire medical professionals who have experience with injuries such as yours. Medical experts can determine the lifetime expected cost of your particular injury by assessing your healthcare needs and any medical treatments you could require in the future, such as:
- Medications
- Medical devices
- Physical therapy
- Surgeries
- In-home medical care
An Accident Attorney Can Prove Future Lost Income
Our accident lawyers may seek testimony from your healthcare providers to help with proving future lost income. Experts can analyze how your injuries affect your ability to work in the future. Your doctors can also assess if and when you could be expected to return to work, which will be crucial for calculating future lost wages.
Your injury attorney will also collect other vital information to arrive at an accurate estimate of your lost future income, including but not limited to:
- Your income before the accident
- Your age and life expectancy before the accident
- The field or industry in which you work
- Any bonuses or raises you were expecting
- Potential career progression and promotions you would have achieved during your working life had you not been injured
- The number of years you would have worked had you not been hurt in an accident
Proving lost future income can be challenging, so it’s important to consult with an injury attorney who has successfully helped clients prove future lost wages. Trying to recover what you deserve without legal counsel could lead to leaving money on the table in negotiations with an insurance company or a defendant.
What Includes Future Lost Wages?
When individuals are suddenly unable to work, they potentially do not only lose wages and future income but could also lose many work-related benefits, such as health insurance, bonuses, and incentives. The terms “future lost wages” and “future lost earning capacity” can describe a number of damages victims could be entitled to in addition to their salary or hourly wage, such as:
- Overtime
- Sick leave and vacation time
- Health insurance and other work benefits
- Commissions and bonuses
- Business income
- Stock options
- 401(k) matching
What If I Was Unemployed When the Accident Happened?
If you were out of work when you were injured, you would not be able to recover any past lost wages. However, you could potentially recover compensation for any loss of future earning capacity. Your injury attorney can assess the difference between what you would have been capable of earning before the injury and what you are capable of earning now and in the future.
If you were unemployed at the time of your accident, make sure to speak to a lawyer to determine your legal options. Our dedicated accident attorneys can review your specific case and determine whether you could pursue loss of future income damages with a personal injury lawsuit.
What Other Damages Could I Receive with a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one suffered significant injuries in an accident that happened due to another’s fault, personal injury law is on your side. You could potentially seek a variety of damages, depending on your specific case. In addition to lost income and lost future earning capacity, you could pursue awards for:
- Current, past, and future medical expenses
- Emotional anguish
- Physical pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
An injury attorney at Harrell & Harrell can assess your accident and advise you on the approximate worth of your case.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Losing your current income and future income as a result of an accident that happened due to no fault of your own can be life-changing. Being unable to work for the foreseeable future or perhaps forever can affect your entire family and cause significant financial hardship. If someone else is responsible for causing your accident and injury, they or their insurance company should make you whole again.
Harrell & Harrell is here to help. We have helped countless clients recover the compensation they needed to put their lives back together. Our experienced and determined personal injury attorneys can calculate your damages accurately and tirelessly fight for what you need and deserve. Get the process started now and contact us for a free case review.