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When an accident happens, it has the potential to change your entire life. Getting injured by a careless driver might mean not only severe physical injuries, mental trauma, lost and ruined personal property but something even more troubling. Your ability to earn a living could be at risk as a result of a car accident, so read on to learn more about lost earning capacity.

Forms of compensation

Most people have heard that a car accident victim can be paid for medical expenses, their wrecked car and even pain and suffering. There is another category of compensation that should be considered, however. In some cases, the injuries were severe enough that you not only missed some work, but your career itself has been permanently impacted.

A higher level of compensation

Almost any worker is entitled to be paid for missed time at work. For example, if you were hospitalized for a week, then you can expect to be paid back the wages you would have normally worked that week. In the event of a more severe injury, though, you may never be able to work at the same pace, level, or at all when you are able to attend to your job. When your damages exceed just being paid for missed work, then you are speaking about lost earning capacity.

Lost earning capacity

When your injuries mean that your ability to work at your chosen career will continue to be impacted well into the foreseeable future, your capacity to earn money is affected. Here are a few examples of accident victims who could never return to their jobs due to an accident injury:

1. A professional musician who worked as a member of an orchestra was unable to play the cello due to a severe wrist injury.

2. A truck driver who had feet injuries that prevented him from driving long distances had to give up his job.

3. An artist whose brain injury prevented her from painting was unable to earn a living.

4. A young woman who was training to be an electrician had to leave school due to PTSD as a result of the accident.

5. A business owner suffered a back injury in an accident and is unable to attend to her duties on a par with the previous level before the wreck.

How lost earning capacity is evaluated

It isn't necessary for an accident to cause you to lose or quit your job. You may still be able to do a job, just not at the same level as before. Several factors will go into this determination, such as:

1. Is the injury permanent?

2. Does the injury have a direct impact on earning capacity?

3. How old is the victim?

4. How much money was being earned by the victim prior to the accident?

The amount you can get depends not only on the factors above but on how successfully your money damages are negotiated. Speak to your truck wreck attorneys at once if your ability to earn a living has been affected by an accident.