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Have You Lost Wages as a Result of an Accident? You May Be Entitled to Compensation

According to California law, if you’ve lost wages because of an injury, and that injury was due to the recklessness of another person, then you may be able to recover those lost wages – both past and present. These are considered economic damages but unlike other economic damages, which are typically fairly easy to measure, wage loss requires the skills of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Read on to learn more and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free case evaluation.

Understanding what past losses are

When you file a personal injury case, one of the types of damages you can claim are past wage losses that resulted from your injury. Note that this doesn’t actually just mean straight, standard wages. If you had to take paid vacation, use a bonus, give up commission, etc. as a result of your injury, then that can all be considered part of lost wages.

To better understand it, consider a salesperson who was injured in a car accident. Someone else was responsible for that accident, yet it was the salesperson who had to take off two months from work. During that time, not only were wages lost, but lost commission was lost as well. For many salespeople, the bulk of their income comes from commissions so this can be significant.

Understanding what future loses are

California plaintiffs in personal injury cases are also allowed to claim future losses as part of their damages. In this case, they must be able to prove that their future earnings are certain to be lower due to their injury. There are a lot of factors involved in this type of claim, and each of them can make it more complicated.

However, let’s consider this example. A person works in construction and injuries their back when hit by a car while walking down the street. Their job requires them to be on their feet for all or most of the day, but with their chronic back problems stemming from the accident, they’re going to have to work less.

That person could then be compensated either for the future lost hours or even for having to find a new way to earn money. This can be complicated though, for a number of reasons. Further consider that this construction worker had a Master’s degree in education. They may not receive the same compensation as a construction worker with no education, because the courts would likely determine that the worker with a college background could more easily transition into a new industry.

If you’ve been injured then you need a personal injury attorney

If you’ve been injured and have missed work, then you need to talk to a personal injury attorney. The experience professionals at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas can be reached at 909-982-0707. Call us today and we’ll provide a free case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation and we are here to help you get it.