Myrtle Beach Car Accident Lawyers for Reduced Earning Capability

If you were injured in a car accident someone else caused, contact The Yates Firm immediately to learn about your available options. You might be entitled to compensation for your reduced earning capability.

Reduced earning capability means a decrease in income due to an injury. Car wrecks can lead to debilitating injuries that affect a person’s ability to earn their typical pay at their current job or seek employment elsewhere. The financial strain is overwhelming, especially if medical bills and other expenses are unaffordable.

The Myrtle Beach car accident attorneys of The Yates Firm are ready to represent you in your case to hold the negligent party liable for your injury. We will gather the available evidence to prove the income you can’t make in the future and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us at (843) 692-3237 for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help.

What Is Considered Reduced Earning Capability?

Reduced earning capability is also called lost future wages or a loss of earning potential. It is the money someone is unable to make due to an injury in a car crash. However, it involves more than just base hourly or salary pay. Lost earning potential also includes:

• Commissions
• Pay raises
• Bonuses
• Vacation and sick days
• Employee benefits
• Promotions and advancements
• Contributions to a 401(k) or another retirement plan
• Loss of employment opportunities

Calculating Reduced Earning Capability After a Car Accident

Determining the income you won’t earn in the future is complicated. Predicting the exact number is challenging, especially if you don’t know how your injury will affect your job performance. However, you can make an educated guess based on various factors, such as:

• Your age
• Bonuses you received in the past
• Nature and extent of your injury
• Projected career path, such as promotions or raises your employer promised you in the future
• Permanent disability or impairment from the car crash
• Medical provider’s evaluation of your expected recovery timeline
• Your employment history, including skills and education, indicating whether you can find a different job
• Base salary or hourly pay you received before the accident
• Benefits provided by your employer, such as sick days, medical insurance, and employee perks

Proving Your Reduced Earning Capability

Evidence is valuable in a car accident case. To recover compensation, you must show the insurance company evidence of your lost future wages. You can provide documentation, such as:

• Previous pay stubs
• Copy of your job description showing your inability to complete necessary tasks due to your injury
• Prior tax returns
• Statement from your doctor detailing the physical or mental limitations resulting from your injury
• Copies of your medical records
• Report or statement from your employer indicating the number of hours you will likely miss while treating your injury
• Current pay stubs or wage statements, if you have returned to work at a lower rate of pay than you were making before the accident

What to Do After Getting Hurt in a Car Accident

Car wrecks are terrifying and life-altering. You never expect to cross paths with a careless driver and get hurt in a collision. The shock you experience in the immediate aftermath can be paralyzing. However, you must take action to protect your rights and improve your chance of building a strong case against the negligent party.

The first thing you should do after leaving the accident scene is to seek medical care. You must visit your doctor or go to the hospital so a healthcare professional can examine you. Although you might not be in pain or notice alarming symptoms, undergoing a medical evaluation is crucial. Sometimes, shock masks the severity of an injury. Delaying treatment can lead to complications.

Seeking prompt treatment is also essential to strengthen your case. Insurance companies want to avoid paying claims. They often look for evidence to reduce the value of a claim or issue a denial. If you don’t go to the hospital shortly after the crash, it can indicate to the insurer that your injury isn’t severe.

You don’t have to hire a lawyer after a car accident. However, you should. An experienced lawyer can assist you with every aspect of the legal process. Instead of investigating and gathering evidence yourself, your lawyer can handle everything for you. You should spend time focusing on your recovery, not trying to figure out how to get all the documents the insurance adjuster wants to see.

Maintaining records related to the car crash is also critical. You can take notes in the aftermath of the collision before you forget important details. Write down everything you remember, such as the other driver’s actions, the direction you traveled, the weather, and the road conditions. 

Take note of your symptoms and how they affect your daily routine. Pursuing a claim for loss of earning potential requires evidence of an injury that causes ongoing problems. Include every symptom you experience, when they occur, and whether they worsen while performing specific tasks, such as walking.

You should also keep a copy of every record related to the car crash. Request a copy of the police report if law enforcement showed up at the scene to investigate. The report might include the officer’s determination of fault and establish who should be liable for your lost future wages.

Hold onto documentation from your doctors, such as invoices, treatment notes, imaging tests, and progress reports. Letters from your medical providers can help prove your inability to work in the future. They might provide written statements about your injury’s impact on your physical or mental abilities.

Get Help from a Myrtle Beach Car Accident Lawyer for Reduced Earning Capability

A car accident can lead to permanent injuries, impairments, or disabilities. When you can’t work, recovering adequate compensation for your medical bills and other expenses is vital. Although proving a reduced earning capability seems complex, calculating an appropriate figure is possible.

You should not pursue your case without The Yates Firm. We have experience determining reduced earning capability and aggressively seeking the money our clients need to afford their necessary treatment in the future. You will receive ongoing support and guidance from our legal team to get through this devastating ordeal.

Call The Yates Firm at (843) 692-3237 for a free consultation if you sustained injuries in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence.

Related Posts:

• How to Read an Accident Report
• What You Need to Know about Calculating Lost Wages