Crantford Meehan has helped me extremely through the hardest time in my life and has gotten me such an AMAZING recovery after my accident. I highly recommend them to any and everyone I know. Even after my own mother got into an auto accident, they have helped us both successfully move forward with our lives...
Receiving injuries in a car accident can change your life forever. In addition to pain and trauma, car crashes can leave you with overwhelming financial consequences, including mountains of medical bills and lost wages due to missed time at work. Some people may even have accident-caused disabilities, such as traumatic brain injuries, that completely prevent them from returning to their former job.
If you are facing reduced earning capacity due to an accident-related injury, you can claim compensation for the future income you will no longer be able to earn. The seasoned Charleston car accident attorneys at Crantford Meehan will fight for what you deserve. We will put our experience, skills, and resources to work for you so you can recover the income you would have made if the negligent party had never caused your injuries. We are committed to building a case that demonstrates the full extent of your losses, including the reduced earning capability after a car accident.
Call us today at (843) 960-3581 or contact us online for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
What Is Reduced Earning Capability?
Reduced earning capability (sometimes called lost earning capacity) is the reduction of a person’s ability to earn money due to an injury they have suffered. Lost earning capacity is usually the result of a severe injury that leads to a disability that causes the person to go into a different line of work. In some cases, they may be unable to work at all.
For example, a construction worker’s job requires them to lift heavy objects and operate manual tools throughout the day. If a person in this line of work suffers a significant shoulder injury in a car accident, they may be unable to return to construction work. This situation might qualify the individual for compensation for the money they would have earned throughout their work-life expectancy if they had not received their accident-related injury.
Because a calculation of lost earning capacity will likely consider several years of future earning potential, the value of your claim could be significant.
Lost Earning Capacity versus Lost Wages
People often must miss time at work due to injuries they receive in an accident. This lost work time might be due to medical events, such as a visit to the emergency room, a doctor’s appointment, or a surgery. Your physician may further restrict you from working for several days or weeks while your injuries heal. As a result, your recovery period might require you to use vacation time, sick leave, or paid time off. In such cases, you can claim compensation for lost wages and the benefits you used to get paid while you were off work.
The claim you file for lost wages will depend on specific and identifiable losses you have already sustained. Lost earning capacity, on the other hand, is a projection of future losses. Determining reduced earning capability after a car accident involves ascertaining how the accident has affected your overall ability to earn a living from this point forward.
