Car crashes, slip-and-falls, animal attacks and other incidents can lead to severe, lasting injuries. People who sustain injuries due to the negligence or misconduct of others can often hold businesses, property owners or drivers accountable for their losses.
Personal injury claims often include requests for compensation for lost wages during recovery, medical expenses and property damage costs. People may also request financial relief for lost future earning potential. Serious injuries can diminish the future income of an injured person. Understanding why injuries affect future earning capacity can help people request appropriate amounts of compensation.
Lasting functional limitations
Frequently, lost earning potential stems from the impact of the injuries on a worker’s job performance. If they lose strength or range of motion due to serious fractures, they may not be able to continue in a blue-collar profession. Injuries that affect cognitive and physical capabilities can also affect service professionals and even white-collar workers.
Missed time at work
Missing weeks of work to undergo rehabilitative care and needing leave to attend regular medical appointments to treat ongoing symptoms can affect future earning capacity. Employers may consider lengthy absences and frequent medical appointments when deciding who to promote or how much of a raise to offer a professional. The company shouldn’t consider the medical condition itself when making decisions, but the business can review the impact the condition has on job performance.
Determining how injuries may affect future earning potential can help professionals request adequate compensation to offset that loss of income. The assistance of a personal injury attorney can help people with severe injuries calculate their current and likely future losses when requesting damages from the party at fault.