How To Access Lost Wages As A Salaried Employee

An immediate financial concern for many injured parties is lost income. If your injuries prevent you from working, you may wonder how to recover those lost wages, this is true if you’re a salaried employee or someone who is paid by the hour.

While it may seem easier for hourly workers to prove financial loss, salaried employees can also recover compensation for missed work. Talk to a Florida personal injury lawyer to learn what is possible for you.

Lost Wages for Hourly Workers

For hourly employees, calculating lost wages is generally straightforward. The injured person’s attorney can multiply their hourly rate by the number of hours they missed due to the accident. Pay stubs, timesheets, and employer statements can provide clear proof of the hours not worked. If the injury affects future earning capacity, such as when physical limitations prevent returning to the same role, those potential future losses can also be included in a claim, too.

How Salaried Employees Can Recover Lost Wages

For salaried employees, the process looks a little different, but the goal is the same, which is to make the injured person financially whole. Instead of using hourly records, an attorney will calculate a daily or weekly rate based on the employee’s annual salary. For example, if someone earns $78,000 per year, that translates to $1,500 per week. If they miss three weeks of work due to their injuries, they could claim $4,500 in lost wages.

Documentation is critical. Your lawyer may use pay stubs, tax returns, and a letter from your employer confirming the time you missed and your salary level. If you used vacation or sick leave during your recovery, those lost benefits can also be factored into your claim, since you wouldn’t have used them otherwise.

Proving Loss of Future Earnings

In more serious injury cases, victims may be entitled to compensation for diminished earning capacity. This applies when the injury causes lasting physical or cognitive limitations that prevent returning to the same level of employment. For salaried employees, especially those in physically demanding or specialized positions, this can represent a significant financial loss over time.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage typically provides up to 60% of lost wages after a Florida car accident, up to policy limits. Should your injuries be severe or exceed those limits, you may pursue a claim against the at-fault party to recover the rest.

Protect Your Right to Full Compensation

Whether you’re paid hourly, on salary, or self-employed, your income matters, and an injury shouldn’t jeopardize your financial stability. If you’ve missed work because of someone else’s negligence, a Florida personal injury lawyer can help you document your losses and secure the compensation you deserve for both your current and future earning potential.

Is income loss keeping you up at night? Share your concerns with the talented attorneys at Spencer Morgan Law. A full and fair compensation package could include income recovery. When you are ready to get your life back on track, call 305-423-3800 to schedule a confidential consultation.