A Car Accident & Self-Employed Lost Wages
Posted by Gregory M. Rada | February 28, 2023 | Firm News
Personal Injury Lawyer
After being in an accident, many people understand that when they file a claim to receive compensation they will likely file to get compensation for lost wages. This makes sense when your injuries are so bad that you are unable to go to work for days, weeks, or months. You need to have some kind of income so that you can continue paying your bills. That said, things can be more complicated when you are filing for lost wages and you are self-employed. You don’t necessarily have a boss who can provide proof of your monthly income and what you would be making if you had not gotten injured. When you are self-employed and have gotten into an accident, it is time to reach out to a lawyer you can rely on who can help you gather the evidence you need for your claim.
What makes this more difficult?
Being self-employed and getting into an accident can be quite a heavy burden. Instead of one income stream with a bi-monthly or monthly paycheck that is sent to you or deposited into your bank account, you may be receiving income from multiple different sources and at varied times throughout the month. This calculation is not necessarily simple and you may not have this information immediately available because no one is expecting to need to pull this out for proof after some kind of accident. Not only do you not have the support and help of a company behind you but you likely feel like you have to go through this on your own. While more difficult, you can still prove that you have lost wages as a self-employed individual.
How can you calculate your lost wages?
One of the best steps you can take is first to speak with a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from a law firm like Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC. When you work with a lawyer, they can help you to prove the lost income you have as a self-employed individual through:
- Business opportunities you may have lost out on
- Earnings you are unable to receive after getting injured if you already have a contract set in place with a client
- Ongoing payment schedules that must be delayed if you cannot work
- Lost goodwill when you cannot deliver a product or service to customers and clients
These are just a few of the ways that you may show you are unable to work and get paid once you have been in a car accident. Your lawyer will be most successful with your claim if they can provide medical records, your tax forms, any recent invoices you have from clients, and even interviews/letters written from clients that detail the type of work you do, how much work you, and what your payment schedule is like.
Do not hesitate to seek legal help when you were in a car accident or other type of accident. As a self-employed individual, it can be especially difficult to get compensation for your lost earnings. Reach out to a local law firm you can rely on during this difficult time.
