What If You Can’t Return to Work After a Florida Car Accident?
If you suffered injuries that have forced you to miss work in a Florida car accident, you are likely feeling scared. You likely feel unsure about how you will pay bills and meet your other obligations. If this is your situation, the next best thing to do is to contact a qualified Florida car accident attorney. An attorney can handle your case and answer all your questions. If someone else’s negligence caused your car accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the wages you would have earned if you had not been hurt. An experienced Florida car accident attorney can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Happens if You Cannot Return to Work After a Florida Car Crash?
If you cannot return to work after a Florida car accident and your accident was someone else’s fault, you may be able to replace your paycheck by recovering compensation for lost wages. Apart from recovering compensation for lost wages, you may also be able to receive compensation for potential earnings if your injuries prevent you from returning to the same work you were doing before your accident. Additionally, if your injury resulted in you losing a job opportunity, you may be eligible to recover compensation for the lost opportunity. Below is more on these categories of reimbursement you may obtain if you can’t return to work after a Florida car accident:
Lost Wages
If, for example, you suffered a broken back in your car accident and could not return to work for five months, you may be entitled to the five-month pay you would have received at work. However, it is crucial to note that there are certain things you must prove in order to recover compensation for lost wages. The following are the things you need to prove in order to recover compensation for your lost wages;
- You could not go to work because of the injuries you sustained in the accident.
- The amount you would have made had you not missed work because of your injuries.
The following is some of the information that can help you prove and calculate your lost wages;
- Your position at work
- A statement that you were employed at the time of your accident
- The number of hours you work in a week
- Rate of pay
- Days or hours of work missed
- Time off benefits used
If you have used your sick days, paid time off, vacation time, or unpaid time off, keep track of the days you have used because you may be able to seek compensation from the at-fault party for the benefits used.
Lost Earning Capacity
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be unable to return to the same work you did before your accident and earn the same amount of money you were earning. For example, if you lost a limb after your accident, you may not be able to return to the same work you did before and earn the same amount of money you were earning. In such a case, you may be entitled to recover compensation for lost earning capacity.
When determining the value of lost earning capacity, the court may look at, among other things, the following;
- Your profession and career
- Your skills, talents, and abilities
- Your work history
- Market value
- Location
- Current wages
- Historic career performance
Lost Opportunity
If your injuries resulted in you losing a job opportunity, you may be eligible to recover compensation for the missed opportunity. Missed opportunities include a missed new position and a missed promotion. Proving a missed job opportunity and calculating the value of the missed opportunity can be tricky. However, a skilled attorney can help make a case that something such as a new position or promotion would have happened had you not been injured. An experienced attorney can help you calculate the value of a lost opportunity.
How To Recover Compensation if You Cannot Return to Work After a Florida Car Accident
If you cannot return to work after a Florida car accident, there are some things you need to gather to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve. The following are some of the things you should gather to ensure you recover fair compensation;
- Doctor’s report: You need a detailed doctor’s report indicating you missed work because of your car accident injuries.
- Employer report: For example, your timestamp with the HR department can help prove you missed work.
- Police report: Lastly, the police report from your accident with details about your injury can help you prove your case.
Contact a Naples Car Accident Attorney
Our Naples car accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro can help you determine what options you have if you cannot return to work after a Florida car accident. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
