A car accident can interrupt your life in many ways, leading to both financial and nonfinancial losses. One of the most common types of losses associated with car accidents in Texas is lost wages. Lost wages can refer to both the income lost while you are undergoing medical treatments as well as any future lost capacity to earn due to a long-term disability.
How to Seek Lost Income in a Car Accident Case
The first phase of a car accident lawsuit in Texas is filing an insurance claim with the carrier of the at-party. The driver at fault for causing your car accident will be financially responsible for losses since Texas is a fault-based state.
When you file an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s provider, you will list all of the financial losses you suffered in the car accident. You also have the right to seek financial compensation for noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Before you can receive insurance benefits for these losses, however, you will have to prove that a) the defendant caused your car accident through an act of negligence and b) the car accident gave you compensable damages. A car accident lawyer can help you with this burden of proof.
Collect Proof of Your Lost Wages
To receive financial compensation for lost wages, you must present evidence of this type of loss. An insurance company, judge or jury will need to see enough evidence that proves you suffered a loss in income, and that this loss was directly connected to the auto accident. Common types of evidence used to prove lost wages are:- Most recent pay stubs before the injury
- Payslips for special projects
- Proof of tips or commission
- Letter from your employer
- Proof of employment benefits
- Customer invoices
- Tax return documents or W2s from previous years
- Medical records proving the longevity of your injury
- Letter from a physician proving you cannot return to work
- Testimony from an economic expert