Car accidents in New York tend to be expensive if you don’t have the proper coverage, but most of your expenses, such as the damage to your vehicle and medical bills, should be covered by the at-fault party’s insurance. But what do you do if you lose time at work because you were injured in an accident with an inattentive driver? In cases like this, you might have to sue for lost wages.
Key things to know about claiming lost wages
When you can’t work due to personal injury in a car accident, you might be able to claim lost wages, but you must prove that the injuries that you sustained were due to the accident and no other outside incident. For instance, if you get injured in an accident with a driver who was on their phone and you are unable to return to work until you recover from surgery three weeks later, you might receive compensation for the time you weren’t able to go to work.
When filing your case, there are two terms that you will encounter: lost earning capacity and lost compensation. Lost earning capacity refers to any loss in ability to earn the same wage as what you have in the past because of your injury. On the other hand, lost compensation refers to the amount of money you lost during a specific period because you couldn’t work at all during that specified time. There are a few routes that you can take to claim a loss of wages. First, file it against your insurance company if you have that coverage. The second option is to file it against the other driver’s insurance if they were at fault. The third option is to file a lawsuit against the other driver.
Distracted driving is one of the top reasons for car accidents
Accidents happen, and there are things that you can do to avoid them so that you don’t lose wages, suffer injury or lose the function of your vehicle. One of the top reasons that people are involved in accidents is distracted driving. Recognizing the signs of an impaired driver on the road is essential for avoiding accidents. For instance, if you notice that another driver is swerving, unable to keep a consistent speed, or spending too much time at stop signs and stop lights, there’s a good chance that they’re not fully paying attention to their driving. Remember, you should also avoid driving distracted; this includes speaking on the phone, sending texts, changing the music and activities that remove your attention from the road and hands from the wheel.
Loss of wages for an extended period can be financially devastating for many people. But you can protect yourself and your finances in an accident by knowing how to file a claim and how to get the compensation you need.
