If you are hurt in a car wreck while driving in Idaho, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages. However, there are a number of factors that will determine how much you are allowed to receive or if you receive anything at all. These factors include the amount of time that you missed due to injury as well as whether you are deemed to be wholly or partially liable for your injuries.
Determining eligibility for lost wages
To be eligible for lost wages, you must show that you missed work because of the defendant’s negligence. This may be done by submitting hospital records, a doctor’s note or some other acknowledgement that you were out of work because you were recovering from an injury. It’s worth noting that you will likely be entitled to compensation for lost wages after a motor vehicle accident even if you work from home.
Calculating lost wages
If you are an hourly worker, calculating damages is relatively easy because you simply multiply your hourly wage by the number of hours that you missed in a given pay period. Salaried workers will divide their annual salary by the number of days that they work each year to determine their daily rate. They can then multiply that number by the number of days missed to figure out how much they should ask for in a settlement or lawsuit.
If you’re liable for your injuries
If you are deemed partially liable for your injuries, your award will be reduced accordingly. For example, if you were 10% liable for getting hurt, a $100,000 verdict would be reduced by $10,000, which is 10% of your compensation. In the event that you are more than 50% liable in your case, you won’t receive any financial award.
While copies of medical bills or wage statements may be important evidence in a car accident case, it’s not the only evidence you may need. Additionally, you can use police reports, witness statements or driver statements to bolster your assertion that another party acted in a negligent manner.