If you were injured in a car accident caused by another driver, you will probably be off work for some period of time while you heal. If you are like most people, you count on your paycheck every week to support your family and losing it can really cause you to suffer financial hardship. Fortunately, you could be entitled to compensation for your lost wages from the negligent driver that caused your crash. Determining the amount you should receive may be more complicated than you think because you could be entitled to more than just the paychecks you did not receive.
Seven Types of Lost Employment Compensation You Don’t Want to Overlook
If you suffered a minor injury that only caused you to be off work for a few weeks, you can easily calculate the amount of wages you are entitled to by adding up the earnings you did not receive. However, if you were off work for months or longer, you lost much more than your paychecks. Your compensation may include some or all of the following:
- Lost wages. This is the amount of income you would have been paid if you were not too injured to work.
- Sick and vacation days. If you had to use sick time or vacation days while you recovered from your injuries, you could be entitled to the value of these days off. They represent lost wages and are days you would have had to use for other reasons if you had not been injured.
- Bonus days. These are days such as national holidays and other days off that you earned or could have earned while you were at home healing.
- Bonuses. Bonuses are usually based on a person’s job performance. If you were realistically eligible for a bonus that you did not receive due to your accident, you should include this amount in your calculation of your lost wages.
- Commissions. If you are in sales, any commissions you lost or would have been likely to earn could be an element of your lost wages.
- Lost opportunities. You may have lost out on a promotion or had to take a lower-paying job when you returned to work because you could no longer could perform your former duties due to your permanent injuries. If you did, you should include these losses in your earnings calculation.
- Fringe benefits. Perks are non-monetary benefits of your job, such as a free work vacation, a company car, or a golf club membership. If you would have been entitled to them except for your injuries, you do not want to forget them as an element of lost wages.
If you were in a car accident caused by another driver, you need an experienced car accident attorney who will advocate for a settlement that includes all you could be entitled to. Fill our online form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how we can assist you.