You Are Entitled to Recover Lost Wages In a Personal Injury Claim

If you are in a accident, and you miss time from work, you may be entitled to recover your lost wages. The lost wages may take a few forms. First, you may actually receive a smaller paycheck, resulting from working fewer hours. In other cases, your paycheck will be the same, because you draw from your unpaid sick days or unused vacation. In either event, it is very important to document your loss.

Unless your injuries are so severe that they obviously do not allow you to continue working, the insurance company may require a note from a medical professional "excusing" you from work. So before you leave any medical appointment, make sure you have such a letter, if the doctor has told you to take some time off of work. You may also want to talk to your human resources department to see if they can provide you with a letter verifying your employment, your wages, and the time missed from work.

One thing you should always consider is that - at least as far as pre-litigation settlement is concerned - the longer you are away from work for a soft-tissue injury, the harder it is to recover 100% of your lost wages. Of course, if you end up in litigation, this may change.

For more information, please contact Pete Clancy - a personal injury attorney in Oakland, California. Pete can be reached by phone (925) 835-7500 or email (pclancy@injuryoakland.com).