There are 3 Basic Types of Lost Wages in a Utah Car Accident Case.
When you are in a Utah car accident it often effects your ability to work. You can be missing work entirely for weeks on-end, or missing a few hours per week due to medical appointments. Other times your physical and mental injuries are so severe that you can’t do the job you used to do.
(1). Back Lost Wages.
Basic back lost wages are an hour-for-hour make up of time missed. If you missed 10 hours from work, you get 10 hours of your work wage back. If you were on commission or a bonus structure the lost wages are still very real, you just have to calculate them differently. You tend to take averages over the past months or years to show what you would have earned during the missed time period.
(2). Future Lost Wages.
Future lost wage anticipate going to future medical appointments or future injuries that will cause you to miss work.
(3). Future Lost Earning Capacity.
Future lost earning capacity are serious damages in car accident cases when they arise. Future lost earning capacity is where you can’t do the job you currently have and therefore have to take a lower paying job. That lost future income stream is captured for the jury to award money to make up for.
Example: A heart surgeon was making 1 million per year operating. His hands are severely hurt and now has to switch medical practices to a non-surgical practice, such as psychiatrist, which only pay $150,000 per year. The former surgeon was injured at age 40 years old and had a likely 20 more years making 1 million per year, which is now lost. Projecting out future lost earning capacity can be large damages in your Utah car accident case.