Did you recently suffer injuries in a South Carolina truck accident that prevent you from working? If so, you might be wondering, “Can I sue for lost wages after a truck accident?”
The answer is yes, you can seek compensation for lost wages in a personal injury claim after a truck accident if someone else caused your injuries. However, you must prove lost wages with clear evidence of your financial losses and how the crash has affected your ability to work to recover compensation.
The truck accident lawyer at David Blackwell Law stands ready to calculate your total wage losses, gather the right evidence, and seek full compensation for you. David Blackwell represents truck accident victims in claims for lost wages. He is ready to help you seek fair compensation now.
Contact our team now to learn more in a free consultation with our personal injury attorney.
How Lost Income Is Calculated in South Carolina
Lost income is the money you would have earned if the truck accident had not disrupted your ability to work. In South Carolina, calculating income losses usually starts with reviewing your current income records, such as pay stubs, W-2 forms, or tax returns. These documents show your average earnings from before the crash.
Next is an assessment of the exact number of days, weeks, or months you missed from work, multiplied by your regular pay rate. For hourly workers, the math is relatively straightforward. If you earn a salary, you might need to divide your annual pay into a daily or weekly rate, then multiply it by the number of days or weeks you are away from work.
If you receive tips, commissions, or bonuses, your calculations must also account for those sources of income. If you are self-employed, you might need to rely on tax filings, client invoices, or profit-and-loss statements to prove how the injury disrupted your business.
In more complex cases, it may be necessary to work with an accountant or economist to review your records to establish your total losses.
What Is Loss of Earning Capacity After a Truck Accident in South Carolina?
Loss of earning capacity refers to your reduced ability to make money in the future because of truck accident-related injuries. Reduced earning capacity and lost future earnings focus on what you could have earned over time if the crash had not affected your work abilities or career path. It differs from regular lost income, which addresses only measurable wage losses from work you actually missed during your recovery.
A lost future earning capacity claim could arise if your injuries cause permanent or long-term limitations. For example, if you work in construction and can no longer lift heavy equipment or are a nurse who can no longer stand for long shifts, you could face a lifetime of lower earnings.
Proving lost earning capacity after a truck crash often requires strong evidence, such as medical evaluations, work restriction assessments, and testimony from vocational experts. Such experts can explain how your condition limits your job options or advancement.
In South Carolina, future earning losses can represent a large part of the compensation in a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident.
Factors That Can Affect a Lost Wages Claim
Every wage-loss claim depends on specific details, such as your employment type, your injury severity, and how long your recovery takes. Here are some examples of the key factors that can influence the value and strength of your claim for recovering lost wages:
- Recovery time – The longer you remain unable to work, the greater the financial impact. A few weeks of missed work might result in a smaller claim than months or years of lost income. Long-term disability can significantly increase the potential value of a claim.
- Type of employment – Hourly workers often lose income immediately when they miss shifts, while salaried employees might have paid leave or benefits that offset some losses. Self-employed workers face added challenges because they must document their own income patterns and business interruptions.
- Documentation and records – Pay stubs, tax returns, and employer statements can all help you confirm income losses. If you have weak or incomplete records, it will likely be harder to prove your actual earnings or the financial impact of missed work.
- Future earning capacity – If an injury limits your ability to return to your prior job or line of work, you might be able to include projected future losses in your claim. Lost income estimates often rely on medical reports, vocational assessments, and economic analyses.
- Comparative fault – South Carolina uses a modified comparative negligence rule that could reduce the amount of compensation you can get if you were partially at fault for your injuries. You need an attorney who will stand up to attempts to unfairly shift the blame onto you.
- Medical documentation – Medical records that clearly connect your injury to your inability to work will strengthen your wage loss claim. On the other hand, gaps or unclear notes in your treatment records could weaken that link.
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help with Your Claim
A truck accident lawyer from David Blackwell Law can help you demand full and fair compensation for lost wages and earning potential by preparing a detailed, well-documented claim on your behalf. Our lawyer can gather pay records, medical evidence, and expert opinions to show how the crash directly affected your income and future earning power. We can also calculate potential losses with accuracy, including unpaid time off, bonuses, commissions, and long-term earning reductions.
Insurance companies often try to minimize wage-loss claims by disputing medical restrictions or downplaying injuries. Our truck accident lawyer can respond to these tactics with clear evidence and negotiation strategies that protect your interests. Our attorney can also coordinate expert testimony to support projections of future income losses.
If the insurer refuses to play fair, our attorney can present your case in court and pursue the maximum compensation you deserve.
Get in Touch with Our Lancaster Truck Accident Attorney
Clients and peers throughout South Carolina recognize David Blackwell Law for our dedication, results, and personal approach. Here is what one local attorney had to say about David Blackwell:
“I have known David Blackwell for many years. He brings passion and integrity to his legal practice and works tirelessly for his clients. David knows how to maximize results in difficult situations.”—Brian Trimnal, Local Attorney
If truck accident injuries threaten your financial future, you need legal experience you can trust. That is where David Blackwell Law comes in. For more than 26 years, our team has helped injured people in South Carolina recover the compensation they need after devastating accidents.
If you are dealing with missed paychecks or long-term income losses after a crash, contact our law firm for a free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer to learn how we can help.
