An accident can have lasting effects on your earning capacity, even after you’ve physically recovered from your injuries. You could be left dealing with long-term physical limitations, chronic pain or cognitive impairments that make it difficult to perform your job as you once did.
With your financial future at stake, a reduced earning capacity is among the damages you shouldn’t overlook when seeking compensation after a crash. Here’s how you can prove the injuries you sustained decreased your earning potential.
Your medical records are crucial
Demonstrating your physical or mental restrictions and recovery prognosis is key to projecting your future income losses. Medical evidence detailing the severity of your injuries, such as your doctor’s reports and diagnostic test results (X-rays, MRIs or CT scans), can help establish how your injuries affect your working ability now and in the future.
This evidence also helps link your injuries directly to the accident in case there are counterclaims that you had pre-existing medical conditions.
Detailed employment history and income records
It’s important to prove your earnings before the crash to establish a baseline for your lost income. Documents like pay stubs, tax returns and annual salary statements can help highlight wage growth patterns or career progression, further supporting your claim.
You may also bolster this evidence with statements from vocational and economic experts whose expertise can offer informed assessments of your job requirements, labor market trends and potential future earnings.
Each piece of evidence helps build a compelling argument for the financial losses you’ve experienced due to the accident. As such, it helps to have qualified guidance to present your case effectively, navigate the legal aspects and maximize your chances of getting the compensation you deserve.