Lost Wages Estimator
Estimate income you may have lost due to accident injuries. Understand what documentation supports a lost wages claim before consulting with an attorney.
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This estimator provides rough calculations for educational purposes only. Actual lost wage claims depend on employment records, medical documentation, the nature of your employment, and applicable law. Consult a licensed attorney and your accountant for guidance specific to your situation.
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About This Tool
An injury that keeps you out of work, or limits your ability to work, can have serious financial consequences beyond medical bills alone. This educational tool helps you think through the general components of a lost wages claim, including regular wages, self-employment income, and paid time off you were forced to use, and it helps you identify the kind of documentation that commonly supports this type of claim. It does not calculate or promise any specific dollar amount, since actual outcomes depend on your employment records, medical documentation, and the law that applies to your situation. Consult a licensed attorney and your accountant for guidance specific to your circumstances.
What Are Lost Wages in a Personal Injury Case?
Lost wages - also called lost income or lost earnings - refer to the income you have lost because your injuries prevented you from working. This includes wages you would have earned from your regular job, self-employment income, gig work income, bonuses you missed, vacation or sick days you were forced to use, and income lost due to reduced work capacity even if you returned to work.
In serious cases, lost future earning capacity may also be recoverable if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term.
- Lost wages cover all income types: W-2 wages, self-employment income, and gig work
- Vacation or sick leave used due to the injury may be includable
- Reduced earning capacity - working fewer hours or a lower-paying job - is also compensable
Documentation Required to Support a Lost Wages Claim
To support a lost wages claim, you typically need documentation showing your pre-accident income, proof of the days or hours you missed, and medical evidence confirming that your injuries prevented you from working. Common documents include pay stubs, W-2 forms, tax returns (especially for self-employed individuals), a letter from your employer confirming missed time and your regular pay rate, and a note from your treating physician stating that your condition prevented you from working.
Self-employed individuals often need additional documentation such as invoices, contracts, or client correspondence showing lost business.
- Gather at least three months of pay stubs before the accident as baseline income proof
- Ask your employer to provide a written statement of your pay rate and missed days
- Keep records of all business income you lost if you are self-employed or a freelancer
Lost Earning Capacity vs. Lost Wages
Lost wages and lost earning capacity are distinct concepts in personal injury law. Lost wages refers to specific income you have already lost due to time missed from work.
Lost earning capacity refers to the reduction in your ability to earn income in the future as a result of your injuries - for example, if you can no longer perform your previous job and must take a lower-paying position, or if chronic pain or disability will limit your earning power for years to come. Claims for future earning capacity typically require expert testimony from vocational rehabilitation specialists and economists.
- Document how your injuries have changed your ability to do your specific job duties
- Note any promotions, raises, or career opportunities you missed due to your injury
- Future earning capacity claims are common in cases involving serious or permanent injuries
Special Considerations for Self-Employed and Gig Workers
Calculating lost wages for self-employed individuals, freelancers, and gig workers is more complex than for traditional employees, but lost income is still recoverable. The key is demonstrating your typical earnings through tax returns, bank statements, invoices, contracts, client communications, and platform earning records (such as Uber, DoorDash, or Upwork statements).
Lost gig income may require showing your historical earnings over the same period in prior years as a baseline. An attorney or accountant experienced with self-employment income can help structure this documentation effectively.
About this topic
What Generally Counts as Lost Income
Lost income after an injury can include more than just the paycheck from a regular job. Depending on the situation, it may also involve self-employment income, gig work earnings, missed bonuses or commissions, and paid time off, vacation days, or sick leave that had to be used because of the injury rather than for its usual purpose. Reduced hours or reduced capacity after returning to work can also factor in, since working fewer hours or in a more limited role is a form of income loss even if someone has technically gone back to work. Which categories apply, and how they are documented, varies by employment type and individual circumstances.
Why Documentation Generally Matters More Than Estimates
A written estimate is a starting point for understanding a situation, but documentation is generally what supports an actual claim. Common supporting records include pay stubs or income statements from before the injury, records showing days or hours missed, and something from a treating provider connecting the missed work to the injury. Self-employed workers and gig workers typically rely on a different set of records, such as invoices, contracts, platform earning statements, or tax filings, since there is no single employer to confirm a schedule or pay rate. Building this kind of record over time is generally more useful than reconstructing it later from memory.
Why This Tool Does Not Provide a Dollar Figure
Every employment situation is different, and the value of a lost income claim depends on factors this tool cannot fully account for, including the specific documentation available, how a claim is negotiated, and the law that applies to your circumstances. Rather than producing a number, this tool is meant to help you understand what categories of loss commonly apply and what kind of records tend to support them, so you are better prepared for a conversation with an accountant or a licensed attorney who can look at your actual situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
In many personal injury cases, yes. If you were forced to use accrued sick days or vacation time because of your injuries, the value of that leave - which you otherwise would have had available - may be recoverable as part of your lost wages claim. Keep records of how much leave you used and when.
Self-employed claimants typically use prior year tax returns, bank statements, and invoices to establish their average monthly income as a baseline. A comparison to the same period in prior years can help demonstrate income lost during recovery. An attorney can help structure this evidence for your specific situation.
Lost wages for part-time workers are typically calculated based on your actual hourly rate and the hours you would have worked during the period you were unable to work. Pay stubs and employer documentation showing your typical schedule and rate are the key evidence. Lost overtime and tips may also be included if they were a regular part of your income.
This is an educational lost wages calculator, not a tool that calculates or promises a specific dollar amount for a personal injury claim. It helps you understand the general categories of lost income and the kind of documentation that commonly supports a claim, so you are better prepared to discuss your specific situation with an accountant or a licensed attorney.
Tips, commissions, and bonuses that were a regular part of your income may generally be included alongside base wages when documenting lost income, though the way they are counted can depend on how consistently you earned them before the injury. Records such as pay stubs, employer statements, or your own income tracking can help show this pattern over time.
Yes, this tool can still help you think through the categories that may apply even if you have not returned to work. Ongoing lost income while you remain unable to work is a recognized category alongside wages already missed, though documenting it typically continues as your situation develops. A treating provider's records connecting your condition to your inability to work are commonly part of this documentation.
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