If your injury has caused you to miss work, or if you’re unable to return to work for a prolonged period, you may be entitled to recover the income you’ve lost. We specialize in helping dog bite victims in Arlington recover compensation for lost wages, future income, and medical expenses. Our legal team works to recover fair compensation for the financial impact of the injury on your livelihood, covering any period of work missed due to your injury, including short-term or extended absences, in alignment with Texas’s liability rules, including the state’s ‘one-bite’ rule and negligence principles.
What Is Covered Under Lost Wages and Income Recovery?
Understanding What You Can Claim in Lost Wages Compensation
When you file a claim for lost wages and income recovery, it may cover more than just the immediate workdays you’ve missed. You may be able to recover:
- Lost Wages from Missed Workdays: Compensation may be available for the income lost during any period you were unable to work due to your injuries, including days, weeks, or months of missed employment.
- Loss of Future Earning Capacity: If your injury leads to a long-term or permanent disability impacting your ability to work, you may be entitled to recover compensation for future lost income, known as ‘loss of earning capacity.’ This is calculated using expert evaluations of your potential earnings and considers the extent of your injury’s impact on your career prospects.
- Loss of Benefits: Compensation can cover the value of lost job-related benefits, such as health insurance, retirement contributions, or other employment-related perks impacted by your absence from work. We will ensure that these losses are calculated and included in the overall compensation package sought from the responsible party or insurance company.
- Self-Employed Income Loss: If you are self-employed or own a business, you may recover lost income based on your average earnings, typically demonstrated through tax returns, profit/loss statements, and client records.
- Bonuses, Commissions, and Overtime: If you missed out on performance bonuses, sales commissions, or opportunities for overtime pay, these can also be included in your claim.
How Are Lost Wages Calculated?
Calculating Lost Wages and Income in a Dog Bite Case
Lost wages are calculated by determining the income you would have earned during the time you were unable to work. This calculation can include:
- Hourly or Salary Rate: For hourly or salaried employees, lost wages are calculated by multiplying the number of workdays missed by your hourly rate or prorated salary. Additional considerations, such as missed overtime pay, bonuses, or shift differentials, may also be factored into the calculation to ensure fair compensation.
- Overtime and Bonuses: If you regularly earn overtime pay or performance-based bonuses, these additional earnings are factored into your lost wages calculation.
- Self-Employed or Contract Work: Self-employed individuals in Texas may recover lost income by providing evidence of typical earnings, often using tax returns, profit and loss statements, invoices, or other income records. We consider any seasonal fluctuations or irregular earnings to present an accurate financial impact of your injury.
Our legal team will work with you to gather the necessary documents, such as pay stubs, tax returns, or business records, to accurately calculate your lost wages and ensure you receive fair compensation.
How We Can Help You Recover Lost Wages
We’ll Fight to Recover the Full Income You’ve Lost Due to Your Injury
We understand the financial stress that missing work can create. That’s why we fight aggressively to ensure that you recover every dollar of income you’ve lost due to your dog bite injury. Here’s how we help:
- Gather Employment and Income Records: We’ll work with you to collect pay stubs, tax documents, or business income records to accurately calculate your lost wages.
- Work with Medical Experts: We’ll collaborate with your medical team to provide evidence that proves your inability to work due to your injuries.
- Handle Insurance Company Negotiations: Our legal team will handle all negotiations with the dog owner’s insurance company to ensure you receive full compensation for lost wages, future income, and benefits.
- Prepare for Court if Necessary: If the insurance company fails to offer a fair settlement, we’re prepared to take your case to court to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Signs You May Be Entitled to Lost Wages Compensation
How to Know if You’re Eligible for Lost Wages CompensatiHow to Know if You’re Eligible for Lost Wages Compensation
- You Missed Work Due to Your Injury: If you’ve missed any workdays, you may be entitled to recover the wages you’ve lost.
- Your Injury Prevents You from Returning to Work: If your injury results in a long-term or permanent inability to work, you may be eligible for compensation for both past lost wages and future lost earnings. Compensation may also cover the loss of potential career advancement or missed business opportunities due to your inability to perform your regular work duties.
- Your Self-Employed Income Has Dropped: If you are self-employed, run a business, or are a freelancer, any income lost due to your inability to work may qualify for compensation. Texas law allows recovery of such losses when supported by documentation demonstrating typical income patterns.
- You’ve Lost Job-Related Benefits: If you lost job-related benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions due to missed work, these losses can be included in your compensation claim.
If any of these apply to you, it’s important to speak with a dog bite lawyer as soon as possible to secure compensation for the income you’ve lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Lost Wages and Income Recovery
What if I’m self-employed? Can I still recover lost income?
If you are self-employed, you can still pursue compensation for lost income. We will work with you to compile evidence that accurately reflects your typical earnings, such as tax records, client invoices, or historical income data, to demonstrate the financial impact of the injury on your business or freelance work.
How far into the future can I claim lost wages?
Our team will consult with vocational experts, if necessary, to determine the impact of your injury on future earnings and career potential, considering any projected limitations due to physical or emotional challenges stemming from the dog bite.
Do I need to provide proof of my income?
Texas law requires documentation like pay stubs, tax returns, employer verification, or, for self-employed individuals, business records such as invoices and profit and loss statements to substantiate lost income claims. Our team will assist in collecting the required documentation and presenting a detailed calculation of your income loss, ensuring that all aspects of your financial impact are considered.