Hurt in a car crash in Las Vegas? You are far from alone. There were more than 85,000 motor vehicle collisions reported in the state in 2021 (Nevada Traffic Safety Crash Facts). A serious collision can disrupt your entire life. You could be forced to take time off from work to get treatment and recover from your injuries.
This raises an important question: What compensation can you get for lost wages after a motor vehicle wreck? The short answer is that you can seek financial relief for the full extent of your losses. Within this article, our Las Vegas auto accident attorneys provide a comprehensive guide to your rights to recover financial compensation for lost wages after a crash.
Nevada adheres to the at-fault system for motor vehicle collisions. Here is the basic framework of how the civil legal system works in this case: The party responsible for the accident—which is generally determined based on negligence—can be held financially liable for the damages. Lost wages are no exception to the rule. You can hold another at-fault party—driver, truck company, or otherwise—responsible for the value of your lost wages. However, you must prove their fault to do so. As Nevada is a comparative fault state, you could be held partially responsible for your lost wages if you are deemed partially responsible for your car accident.
In personal injury claims, damages are often divided into two primary categories: 1) Economic losses and 2) Non-economic losses. Economic damages are those that represent a clear monetary loss—and lost wages fall squarely into this category.
If you have missed days, weeks, or even months of work due to injuries sustained in an auto accident, you have experienced a direct economic impact. The wages you would have earned, but for the accident, can be quantified and claimed as part of your compensation.
To be clear. This part of your car accident injury claim is not merely limited to your missed standard salary. It can also include lost opportunities for overtime, bonuses, or any other specialized wages/earnings that you would have reasonably earned if that crash had not happened.
Beyond just the wages lost immediately following the accident, there is another potential economic loss to consider: diminished earning capacity. If the injuries you sustained in the car accident have long-term effects that hinder your ability to perform your job at the same capacity or if they prevent you from returning to your profession entirely, you may have grounds to seek compensation for this future loss of income.
The principle behind this is to compensate victims for reducing their ability to earn. Determining diminished earning capacity can be complex. Indeed, this type of claim will often require expert testimony to calculate future potential earnings and the extent to which they have been affected by the injuries. An experienced Las Vegas auto accident lawyer can help you fight for full and fair financial compensation for diminished earning capacity.
Evidence is key to any aspect of a legal claim—and lost wages in a car accident are certainly not an exception to the rule. To successfully claim and receive compensation for lost wages or diminished earning capacity, you must have robust and comprehensive documentation. Evidence that may be used to help establish your lost wages or loss of earning power include:
At Ladah Law Firm, our Las Vegas auto accident lawyer goes above and beyond to get justice and the maximum financial compensation for injured victims. If you have any questions about recovering compensation for lost wages or diminished earnings, we can help. Contact us today for your free, no-commitment case review. Our firm represents injured victims throughout Southern Nevada.