If you get hurt in a car accident that was not your fault, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be compensated. After all, it wouldn’t be fair if you were expected to pay for your injuries when you weren’t the one that caused them. This is true, even if the crash was unintentional – just because someone else was negligent does not mean you’re any less hurt.
Thankfully, the law recognizes this. If someone causes an a car crash – regardless of whether it was an accident or on purpose – then they’re expected to compensate you for your losses and for what you’ve gone through. These are not limited to your medical bills, though.
Compensation for Lost Wages
If you get hurt in a car accident, you should be fully compensated for your injuries. This includes being compensated for the income that you lost while recovering from the crash. Not many people can hold down their job while in the hospital. The income that you lost while on the road to recovery is something that should be included in the compensation that you receive.
Compensation for Lost Earning Potential
But the income that you lost because of the crash is not just something that’s in the past. The injuries that you suffered in a car accident can prevent you from making money in the future, as well. Again, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be compensated for this when you didn’t cause the crash.
An Example of Lost Earning Potential in a Car Accident
Being compensated for the wages that you’ve lost, or are about to lose, because of a car accident is crucial. This is especially true if your injuries kept you out of work for a long time, or prevent you from working in your field.
An example of how important it is to take lost earning capacity into account is the recent death of Kansas City Royals pitching star Yordano Ventura. Because it was a fatal car accident, Ventura’s estate would receive whatever compensation he would have gotten, including the future earning potential of the pitching phenom.
Back in 2015, Ventura had signed a 5-year deal with the Royals, worth just over $20 million. Under that deal, Ventura was owed $3.25 million in 2017, $6.25 million in 2018, and $9.75 million in 2019. Already, Ventura’s lost earning potential is at $19.25 million.
After that, the Royals could extend the contract by an additional two years, at $12 million, each, or Ventura could become a free agent and sign with another team. While Ventura was still struggling in the big leagues, he was only 25-years-old, and was expected to become a star. He would’ve hit the free agency market right in his prime, and would have commanded a massive salary. This massive salary would also be included in his future earning potential, and would be a part of the compensation for the car accident.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Of course, the cause of Ventura’s crash is still under investigation, so this is all a hypothetical. However, it goes to show that future earning capacity is an important part of a personal injury claim from a car accident. Even if you aren’t a big league pitcher, you could easily stand to be compensated a significant amount.
The personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office know this, and fight to ensure that it happens. Contact us online or at (816) 875-9373.