If your injury has caused you to miss work, or if you’re unable to return to work for a prolonged period, you may be entitled to recover the income you’ve lost. We specialize in helping dog bite victims in Tucson recover not just medical expenses but also the wages they’ve lost due to their injury. Whether you’ve missed a few days or several months of work, our legal team will ensure that you’re compensated for the financial impact on your livelihood.
What Is Covered Under Lost Wages and Income Recovery?
Understanding What You Can Claim in Lost Wages Compensation
When filing a claim for lost wages and income recovery, compensation can extend beyond the immediate time missed from work. You may be able to recover:
- Lost Wages from Missed Workdays: Compensation for any time you were unable to work due to your injury, including hourly wages, salary, and missed overtime.
- Loss of Future Earning Capacity: In Arizona, if your dog bite injury leads to long-term or permanent disability, you may be entitled to compensation for future lost income. This compensation is calculated based on the extent of your diminished earning potential.
- Loss of Benefits: Compensation for job-related benefits lost due to your injury, such as healthcare, retirement contributions, or other employment perks.
- Self-Employed Income Loss: If you are self-employed, you can recover lost income based on the earnings you would have made had you not been injured. This typically requires documentation like tax returns, profit and loss statements, and client contracts.
- Bonuses, Commissions, and Overtime: If your injury caused you to miss opportunities for bonuses, commissions, or overtime, these earnings can be included in your claim.
How Are Lost Wages Calculated?
Calculating Lost Wages and Income in a Dog Bite Case
Lost wages are calculated by determining the income you would have earned during the period you were unable to work. This can include:
- Hourly or Salary Rate: For salaried employees, lost wages are calculated by prorating your salary for the time missed. For hourly workers, lost wages are determined by multiplying the hours missed by your hourly rate.
- Overtime and Bonuses: If you regularly receive overtime pay, bonuses, or commissions, these should be factored into your lost wages calculation.
- Self-Employed or Contract Work: For self-employed individuals, proving lost income may involve providing tax returns, business records, or profit and loss statements. Courts often use historical earnings to project future income losses, and it’s important to demonstrate how your inability to work has affected your business income.
Our legal team will assist in gathering all necessary documentation, such as pay stubs, tax returns, or business records, to calculate your lost wages and ensure you receive fair compensation.nts, such as pay stubs, tax returns, or business records, to accurately calculate your lost wages and ensure you receive fair compensation.
How We Can Help You Recover Lost Wages
We’ll Fight to Recover the Full Income You’ve Lost Due to Your Injury
We understand the financial stress that missing work can create. That’s why we fight aggressively to ensure that you recover every dollar of income you’ve lost due to your dog bite injury. Here’s how we help:
- Gather Employment and Income Records: We’ll work with you to collect pay stubs, tax documents, or business income records to accurately calculate your lost wages.
- Collaborate with Vocational Experts: In addition to working with medical professionals, we’ll engage vocational experts to provide testimony on how your injury has affected your ability to work, ensuring that your claim for lost wages or diminished earning capacity is backed by solid evidence.
- Handle Insurance Company Negotiations: Our legal team will handle all negotiations with the dog owner’s insurance company to ensure you receive full compensation for lost wages, future income, and benefits.
- Prepare for Court if Necessary: If the insurance company fails to offer a fair settlement, we’re prepared to take your case to court to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Claims for future earning capacity require both medical and vocational expert testimony to establish how the injury impacts your ability to continue working in your previous capacity or profession.
Signs You May Be Entitled to Lost Wages Compensation
How to Know if You’re Eligible for Lost Wages Compensation
You may be entitled to compensation for lost wages if:
- You Missed Work Due to Your Injury: If you missed workdays because of your dog bite injury, you could recover the wages you’ve lost.
- Your Injury Prevents You from Returning to Work: If your injury has long-term effects and prevents you from returning to work, you may be entitled to compensation for future lost income and diminished earning capacity.
- Your Self-Employed Income Has Dropped: If you run a business or work as a freelancer and your income has dropped due to your inability to work, you can recover compensation for lost business income.
- You’ve Lost Job-Related Benefits: If your missed work resulted in the loss of job-related benefits such as healthcare or retirement contributions, these losses can be included in your compensation claim.
If any of these apply to you, consult a dog bite lawyer to secure the compensation you’re entitled to for lost wages and future income.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Lost Wages and Income Recovery
What if I’m self-employed? Can I still recover lost income?
Yes. If you’re self-employed, you can still recover lost income. Our legal team will help you gather the necessary business records, tax returns, and other documentation to calculate your lost earnings.
How far into the future can I claim lost wages?
If your injury results in long-term or permanent disability, you can claim compensation for future lost wages or loss of earning capacity. This calculation typically requires expert testimony to demonstrate how your injury will affect your ability to work in the future.
Do I need to provide proof of my income?
Yes. To claim lost wages, you will need to provide proof of your income, such as pay stubs, tax returns, and business records. Our team will guide you through the process of gathering and submitting these documents to support your claim.