Being involved in a personal injury, such as a bike or car accident, can turn your whole life upside down in an instant. Various impacts stem directly from personal injury cases that range from financial implications to psychological effects and, of course, recovering from the injury itself. What’s more, the aftermath of the incident may even leave you unable to earn an income indefinitely, depending on the severity of your injury.
Personal injury cases are significantly different from workplace injuries, as you won’t be able to claim lost wages from your employer if you have been involved in an accident outside of the workplace. So, if you have recently been the victim of a personal injury instance and are unable to work due to your injuries, here’s how you can recover your lost income according to the law.
Seek Expert Legal Advice
Suppose you have been involved in a bicycle accident while out and about on the roads; you should seek the professional advice of an expert bike accident lawyer, such as the legal experts at Bill Bone Bike Law or a similar law firm near you. On the other hand, if you are the victim of a slip and fall injury while shopping at a retail giant, you should seek the expertise of a lawyer that deals specifically with such cases. It is always best to rely on a legal expert specializing in a specific field instead of a general legal practitioner; field specialization will give your case the upper hand. A specialized legal practitioner will also advise your next step and the process best to expect in your situation.
Who To Claim From
You won’t be able to claim your lost income from your employer, although you will be able to file a lawsuit with the responsible party or an insurance company. In the event that authorities cannot locate the responsible party, you will be able to claim from your insurer. However, because there are instances when victims of personal injury may not have relevant insurance, you may be able to claim from your region’s road accident fund. However, you will require your expert lawyer’s guidance to identify where you should declare your lost income according to the laws of your region and the specifics of your accident.
Collect All Your Relevant Evidence
To claim lost wages, you will need valid evidence that you have sustained an injury. Additionally, you will also need proof that your injury is the direct result of the responsible party’s negligence. While this evidence can be police reports, dated photographs, and other legal documents, you will also need medical evidence to validate your injuries. Therefore, you will need to seek medical treatment immediately and conform to any treatment recommendations from your healthcare practitioner. The medical records will detail your injuries and recovery, which will validate your temporary or ongoing loss of income.
Calculating Your Lost Income
Even if you have disability insurance and other policies that protect you from lost income, your compensation can differ from your actual salary for various legal details included in such policies. However, rest assured that your expert lawyer will be able to calculate your lost income and negotiate any settlement offers until you receive fair and just compensation for your lost income.
Because the legal details of calculating your income loss can be quite overwhelming, as there are varied calculations and points to consider when claiming the loss of an annual income to those when claiming an hourly loss of income. As a result, it is always best to opt for legal representation, as a small mistake in your calculations could put the outcome of your income loss claim at risk. You will be able to include your legal costs in your claim as well, so there is genuinely no reason to avoid legal representation when recovering lost income after enduring a personal injury such as a road accident.
The Importance Of Ongoing Treatment To Recover From Your Injury
The severity of your injury is entirely dependant on the specifics of the accident. However, avoiding treatment recommendations will put your claim in jeopardy. Even if you have received initial medical treatment and collected evidence that validates your injuries, you will need to continue any treatment recommendations. Avoiding this will diminish the severity of your injury. So, even if you feel that you can continue your recovery without recommended treatment, you should maintain checkups with your healthcare practitioner and conform to all the treatment recommendations.
