Do you know how to claim lost wages from a car accident in WA? You’ll need to provide evidence of your income, missed time at work, and your injuries.
A Abogado de accidentes de tráfico en Bellevue from Premier Law Group can help you gather documentation and pursue compensation for your losses.
Show Proof of Income
You’ll need to prove your income to show how much you’ve lost while recovering from your injuries. Compile documentation including three (or more) months of pay stubs. These documents detail your regular wages and hours per pay period, along with overtime.
You may work on commission, and while out of work, you will lose opportunities to earn them. Use past performance and earnings to estimate what you could have made had your injuries not prevented you from working. The same applies to bonuses or other incentive pay.
Document how many sick days or paid time off (PTO) you had to use during recovery. You shouldn’t lose the value of these benefits when someone else’s negligence forced you to use them. That party needs to pay you back for your time. Premier Law Group can calculate the value of lost sick time or PTO and fight to recoup every dollar and every day you have lost.
Additional Documentation
Get a letter from your employer verifying your job title, salary or hourly rate of pay, and typical work schedule. Also ask them to include the number of days or hours missed. In addition, secure a copy of your most up-to-date W-2 form.
Our attorneys can help you calculate the amount of your lost wages and benefits, whether you are a salaried or hourly worker. We will make sure your demand is accurate when you claim lost wages from a car accident in WA.
Compile Proof of Self-Employment Income
If you are self-employed and don’t have a boss to request letters of verification from, there is other documentation you can put together to prove your income. Invoices, contracts, and bank statements showing business deposits can create a picture of your typical earnings. Get copies of your tax filings and returns.
Show records of lost work too. You may have had to reject client requests. Perhaps you had to withdraw a bid. That documentation can support your claim for lost wages and earnings. The attorneys at Premier Law Group will make sure you collect the appropriate documents.
Collect Proof of Your Injuries
To recover lost wages, you must show you actually sustained injuries in the accident, and that these injuries prevented you from working. Our What to Do After a Car Accident Step-by-Step Guide emphasizes the importance of calling the police and seeking medical attention. A police report officially documents what happened and will state that injuries occurred. It can serve as valuable evidence.
If you don’t require emergency care, you still need to go to a doctor right away. Doing so protects your health and your claim for lost wages from a car accident. You may not realize the true extent of your injuries. Failing to get fast care can make them worse. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent that from happening.
Medical documentation also provides critical evidence that you did, in fact, sustain injuries from the crash, and that treatment and recovery required time off from work. The team at Premier Law Group can help you gather thorough documentation to support your claim for lost wages.
You Must Prove Negligence to File a Claim for Lost Wages From the At-Fault Party’s Insurance
In Washington State, victims of injuries caused by someone else’s negligence can seek compensation for their losses, including lost wages, per Ley de la República de Irlanda 4.22.005. The negligent party typically pays through their seguro obligatorio, but insurance companies don’t just hand money over without proof of their clients’ negligence.
The team at Premier Law Group knows how important proving negligence is to the success of your claim.
We can investigate the accident to show the at-fault party owed you a duty of care and then breached that duty, and that this breach led to your injuries and claim for lost wages and other damages after a car accident.
Filing a Lawsuit
Many car accident claims settle through negotiations, and victims never have to go to court. If the at-fault party’s insurance company doesn’t cooperate, the best move could be to go forward with a lawsuit and fight for compensation at trial. You can only exercise this right if you file your claim within Washington’s three-year statute of limitations, as established in Ley de Armas Reconstructivas 4.16.080.
You can lose your chance to win your claim for lost wages from a car accident if you miss this filing deadline. Even so, there are some cases where extensions apply. If you think you’ve missed the deadline, don’t conclude that you’re without legal recourse without first speaking to an attorney. We can review your case for free and determine if you have a path to justice.
File a Claim for Lost Wages With Your Own Insurance
You can opt in to buying personal injury protection (PIP) with your auto insurance. If you don’t specifically opt out of PIP in writing, your insurance company must include it in your policy. PIP provides coverage for lost wages, medical expenses, and other losses.
At minimum, protección contra lesiones personales provides $200 and up to $10,000 total for lost income, though you can purchase coverage for up to $35,000. The team at Premier Law Group can review your policy and help you access your PIP insurance after a car crash in Washington.
Let Us Handle Your Claim for Lost Wages
A car accident can cause a major financial setback. The medical costs alone can deplete your savings. Losing income while recovering just compounds your losses. Premier Law Group can help you get back on track. We know how to claim lost wages from a car accident in WA and how to get you compensated for your additional losses. Connect with us for a free case review today.
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