What If I Can’t Work After My Kentucky Car Accident?

Unfortunately, vehicle accidents often leave individuals unable to work either for a short period of time or, occasionally, for quite some time after the incident occurs. When this happens, crash victims may be able to recover compensation for their lost wages from an at-fault party responsible for the crash. Unfortunately, these claims can be challenging, and we strongly encourage you to speak to a skilled car accident attorney who can help you with every aspect of your claim, including calculating and demanding lost wage replacement.

Recovering Insurance Money

Kentucky is a choice no-fault auto insurance state. This means that individuals typically carry no-fault insurance, which means they have personal injury protection (PIP) as part of their policy. They turn to their own insurance carrier for compensation after an incident occurs, regardless of who caused the incident.

Basic no-fault PIP coverage provides relatively quick compensation but only up to $10,000 for economic damages caused by the incident. This includes medical expenses, replacement services, and some lost wages. However, no-fault insurance does not typically cover the full amount of lost wages a car accident victim may endure. 

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit for Lost Income

In the event the injuries caused by a vehicle accident are considered serious, victims may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the allegedly negligent party to recover additional compensation. This can include additional monies for lost income if the victim is unable to work for some period of time after the incident occurs.

However, filing a vehicle accident insurance claim or lawsuit against another party outside of the no-fault insurance system means that fault must be determined. This does complicate the process because compensation is not automatic like it is under the no-fault insurance claim.

If a personal injury claim against another party is successful, individuals may be able to recover additional compensation either from the at-fault party’s insurance carrier (up to the limits of the policy) or from the assets of the at-fault party.

Working With an Attorney

We strongly encourage any car accident victim in Lexington who is unable to work to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. Claims involving property damage and injuries are complicated, and this is particularly true when discussing lost income caused by the incident. A skilled attorney can work with trusted medical and economic professionals to help assess your situation and create an accurate monetary demand to present to the other parties involved.

How Much Income Replacement Will You Receive?

There is a multitude of factors that determine how much compensation a person receives for their auto accident claim, including compensation for lost wages. A lost wage claim will become part of the overall vehicle accident claim against another party, and there are several factors that could influence how much the settlement or jury verdict will be. These factors include how severe the injury is, how long it takes the victim to recover, their occupation, whether or not there was any shared fault for the incident and more.