Of course, immediately after your personal injury accident, you may have to take some time off from work to address your incurred bodily injuries. But after getting your health condition fully assessed by medical professionals, you may shortly realize that your time away may not be temporary, but rather, you have no choice but to step down from your job post permanently. This may be considered a lost earning capacity, which you may cite in your upcoming personal injury claim. With that being said, please read on to discover what evidence you need to prove a lost earning capacity after your accident and how one of the experienced Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA, can help you recover this necessary documentation.
How does a lost earning capacity differ from lost wages?
While lost earning capacity and lost wages may sound like the same thing, they mean two totally different things in the context of a personal injury claim. On the one hand, your lost wages are the current and future income you lost and anticipate losing due to having to take time off from work to recover from your injuries. So, say you have already missed a month of work, and your treating physician recommends an additional four weeks of rest. Well, you may easily calculate your lost wages by adding up your past pay stubs of the most recent two months before your accident.
On the other hand, your lost earning capacity may refer to how your future earning potential may be reduced permanently due to your incurred injuries and disabilities and their associated limitations. That is, you may have to rejoin the workforce by taking a lesser-paying occupation. Or, most unfortunately, you may be unable to find any job that could accommodate your health condition and help you earn a substantial living. Of course, because of its perpetualness, the financial compensation you seek for a lost earning capacity may be significantly greater than your claimed lost wages.
What evidence do I need to prove my lost earning capacity?
Claiming that your health condition after your accident permanently depletes your earning capacity is a bold statement to make. This is why you must back it up with sufficient evidence that it is true. For this, the types of evidence that you should gather and present in your personal injury claim proceedings include the following:
- Your medical records indicating the seriousness and permanency of your injury or disability.
- An expert testimony by a medical professional explaining the limitations associated with your injury or disability.
- A statement by your current employer describing the nature of your work and your expected job functions.
- A vocational assessment comparing your medical records to your education, work history, and transferable skills.
- Your resume of your employment history, earnings history, promotion or career growth history, etc.
Before you step into a Florida civil courtroom, you must seek one of the competent Panama City personal injury attorneys to stand by your side. Please contact our office, Manuel & Thompson, PA, as soon as you are ready.
