How Do You Calculate Lost Income in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

When you hire a Carrollton personal injury lawyer, your hope is that they can get you compensation for your injuries. In fact, one of the first questions most people ask their attorney is how much their case is worth. Even before their attorney has had a chance to review the paperwork related to the case, the victim wants to know how much money they’ll get. There are a few things you should know before you start to focus on how much your case is worth.

Before any Carrollton personal injury lawyer will give you a ballpark figure of how much your case is worth, they’ll want to meet with you. You need to give them any documentation you have so far. This could include any or all of the following:

  • Copies of your medical bills
  • Copies of your timesheets and pay stubs from work
  • Pictures of the accident scene
  • A copy of the incident or accident report
  • If it was a car crash, they’ll need a copy of the police report

Once they take a look at this information, they’ll have a better idea of what you’re entitled to. They’ll also have a better idea of how strong your case is. Here, we’ll talk briefly about cases in which the victim is entitled to damages for lost wages.

Your Carrollton Personal Injury Lawyer Must Prove Fault First

Before you worry about how much your case is worth, your Carrollton personal injury lawyer will have to prove fault. They’ll have to do this regardless of whether they’re demanding damages for lost wages and future lost income. In order to prove fault, they’ll have to prove negligence. This requires that they demonstrate the following four (4) things:

  • The defendant owed you a duty of care
  • They breached this duty
  • You were hurt
  • Your injuries were caused by the defendant’s breach

Once they prove liability, they’ll go on and try to prove your damages.

You Must State Your Damages on Your Complaint

When you file suit, your Carrollton personal injury lawyer must state your damages. This means they’ll have to estimate your lost wages and lost future income. They likely won’t have this information for months. You’ll have to see how much longer before you’ll be unable to work. If it’s only a few weeks, you’ll be expected to resume working.

Of course, you’ll be entitled to damages for the weeks you were out of work. If you can’t return to the same position, you can demand compensation for the difference in income. For example, you may have been earning $60,000 per year as a truck driver. As a result of the accident, you can no longer work. You’ll be on disability for the rest of your life.

However, you will start receiving disability benefits. Whether or not you’re approved depends on the facts of your case. The defendant’s attorney may argue that your injuries aren’t as bad as you’re making them out to be. They’ll ask the judge for an independent evaluation. Depending on what you find, you may be able to move forward.

Your Carrollton Personal Injury Lawyer Must Submit Proof of Damages

As with any other personal injury lawsuit, your Carrollton accident lawyer must prove damages. Depending on the type of accident you suffered, you may be entitled to some or all of the following:

  • Medical bills
  • Future medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Lost future income
  • Pain and suffering
  • Property damages

As you can see, it can take quite some time for a case to finally be resolved. The quicker you’re back to work, the better. If you legitimately can’t work, you’ll need to submit proof of this. Your Carrollton personal injury lawyer will also need to determine how much you may be entitled to.

Call and Talk to a Seasoned Carrollton Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’re in any sort of accident and get hurt, you’ll probably miss time from work. Depending on how serious your injuries were, you may be out of work for quite some time. Sadly, Carrollton personal injury lawyers meet with clients who can’t return to work often. Their injuries were so bad they aren’t able to go back to work at all. Or they can work but they can’t do the same kind of work they used to do.

Your Carrollton personal injury lawyer will fight to get you as much money as possible. The first thing you need to do is call and set up your free consultation.