If you’re seeking compensation after an injury, you may start with your medical bills. If the treatment has already completed, this can be a bit easier to define. You simply look at the costs stemming directly from the incident – such as a car accident caused by another driver – that you have records for. If the other person was liable in the accident, then that other party is responsible for those costs.
But serious injuries often lead to more than medical bills. They can lead to lost wages, as well. This can be a bit more complicated, so let’s take a look at two things to consider.
Missing time at work
First of all, consider the hours that you may have missed at work. Even if you just got into a car accident and you were out of work for a day or two, it’s likely going to cost you hundreds of dollars in wages. If you had to miss extensive time, you could be looking at thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. You still deserve compensation for those wages if someone else was the reason that you couldn’t work.
Lost earning capacity
But don’t stop with the wages that you’re actively missing. You may also have to consider whether you’ve lost the ability to earn money in the future. For instance, if your injuries mean that you’re never going to be able to work again, you could have decades of lost future earnings to consider. Even if you can still work, your injury may make it impossible for you to earn as much as you would have otherwise. Maybe you won’t get promotions or advance your career the way you planned.
As you can see, there are a lot of costs to keep in mind after an injury. Be sure you know exactly what legal options you have to seek compensation.