July 08, 2022

There are 3 Basic Types of Lost Wages in a Utah Car Accident Case. 

Lost wages in Utah car accidentsWhen 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. Utah Motor Vehicle Collision

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.

Utah car accident damagesExample:  A young 33 year old farmer is hurt in a Utah car accident.  His shoulder labrum is torn and he can’t use his shoulder at 100 percent anymore on the farm.  Farm work is labor and he has to hire help to cover his inability to work at 100 percent. He still works, but just can’t do what he used to do.   The cost to hire new employees would be captured over his working life in a money figure.  Or, it is projected that he would have to take new work as a truck driver based on his current education, training and experience.  Truck driving makes half of what he made as a farmer.

Utah Car Accident Lawyer Jake Gunter has been trying lawsuits for nearly 20 years.  Call/TXT (801) 373-6345 to talk to Jake about your accident.