On Behalf of Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa | November 10, 2022 | Personal Injury
When you rely on your paycheck to put food on the table and pay your family's bills, missing even a couple of days of work can not only put you in a financial pinch but may even send you into a downward spiral. However, suppose you suffered a personal injury such as an injury in a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, pedestrian accident, or a workplace injury. In that case, you may need to take time off work. Injured individuals often find themselves staying in the hospital for a few days or even weeks or months. They may need surgery, or they may not be physically able to work. Workers might also need time off work to attend medical appointments.
They have very valid reasons for missing work, but they may not get paid for this time, nor should they have to use the PTO time they have earned for it. So, what's an injured person to do? Hire the experienced West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa as soon as possible after sustaining an injury.
Claiming Lost Wages and Income
Personal injury claims help an injured party pursue compensation for their damages. Damages are the ways in which they were harmed, inconvenienced, or otherwise changed by the accident. Lost wages and income is one type of economic damage that personal injury victims can claim—whether they were in the hospital, recovering at home, attending medical appointments, or physically unable to work due to their injuries.
Calculating Lost Wages
Calculating your lost wages should be reasonably easy. The calculation method differs depending on if you are paid hourly or you're a salaried employee. For example, if you are an hourly employee, take the number of hours you missed at work multiplied by your hourly pay rate, which will equal your lost wages. For example, suppose you missed a week of work, and your pay rate is $20 an hour. That's 40 hours of missed work, times 20, to equal $800 of lost wages.
On the other hand, if you receive a salary, take it, and divide it by 2,080 (the number of work hours in a year at 40 hours per week). Then, multiply your answer by the number of hours you missed. For example, if you make $50,000 a year, you earn $24.04 per hour. You missed one week of work, or 40 hours, which means your lost wages amount to $961.60.
In addition to your lost actual wages, you also have the right to seek compensation for other things you missed out on because of not working, such as:
- Bonuses
- Overtime pay
- Commissions
- Self-employment income
- Retirement contributions
- Sick days or vacation days you were forced to use
- Other benefits
Your West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers can help you calculate and prove your lost wages and income, ensuring that no form of compensation is left out of your calculations.
Get Help from Our Seasoned West Palm Beach Personal Injury Attorneys
If you were unable to work due to an injury accident, you likely deserve compensation for your lost wages. Our West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers know how to fight for your rights and claim lost wages and income in a personal injury case. You can get your case started today with a complimentary case review. Call us today at 561-478-2500 or use our convenient online contact form to schedule yours.
Gerald A. Rosenthal
Retired
Since opening the firm now known as Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa more than 40 years ago, Gerald A. Rosenthal has been a dedicated champion of the everyday hero – police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, construction workers, farm workers, and more. Passionate about preserving the civil rights of laborers, he has fought tirelessly against giant insurance companies who deny the injured workers their benefits. It’s not just the lawsuit Rosenthal fights to win – he is driven by the opportunity to restore his client’s quality of life.
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