One of the biggest impacts of a personal injury accident is being away from your job for a long period. Even workers with vacation, sick, and other paid time off (PTO) may eventually run out of paid time, leaving them without an income. The next question is how to pay the mortgage or rent and other regular bills when there is no income.
Our Kansas City personal injury lawyer can help whether you were involved in a car accident, were injured on someone’s property, or had an accident at your place of work.
Personal Injury Cases
Any accident that leaves you unable to work either temporarily or permanently is a “personal injury,” including:
• Traffic accidents (car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian)
• Slip and falls and other physical injuries on someone else’s property
• Dog bites and other animal incidents
• Medical malpractice
• Defective products
Any of these injuries can mean long recuperation times that prevent you from working. Will you have a job or career after your recovery?
Injuries At Work
If you were hurt on the job, the rules are a little different. Companies with more than five employees are required to carry Workers’ Compensation for their employees. This insurance policy helps employees get medical care and part of their wages while they recuperate.
Unlike a personal injury lawsuit, there’s no need to prove the injury as work-related. However, your recovery is limited to medical care and wage coverage in most circumstances, and you’re unable to file a personal injury claim.
The rules change if your work-related injuries were caused by a third party, or if you work as an independent contractor. Workers Comp only covers a company’s employees, therefore non-employee workers may be ineligible. In this case, someone injured at work may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for injuries. Every case is different, so consult with a personal injury lawyer to learn more.
Popham Law’s Kansas City personal injury lawyers have experience helping injured workers with claims for Workers’ Compensation as well as work-related personal injury claims.
Proving Lost Wages
You’ll need to show how much you lost by being unemployed after the accident, including:
• Salary/wages, current and future
• Overtime
• Bonuses and commissions
• Benefits, such as insurance, employee discounts and reimbursements, and other perks of your employment
• Paid time off, such as vacation, sick, and holiday time
• Promotions and raises
• Contributions to retirement
Because an insurance claim focuses mainly on medical expenses and property damage, you may not realize that “lost wages” encompasses much more than just your regular paycheck.
Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney
Since 1918, The Popham Law Firm has helped hundreds of people in many accident types, from simple fender benders to accidents involving injuries and property damage. We'll be happy to review your case and let you know if you have one and how to proceed. Contact us at (844) 243-2288 or use our online contact form to get started.
