How Do You Prove Lost Future Income in Your Norfolk Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Most people who are involved in an accident suffer very serious injuries. This could include a motor vehicle accident or some other type of accident. Even a slip and fall case can involve very serious injuries. It’s the job of your Norfolk personal injury attorney to get you compensation for these injuries. Depending on your accident, you may suffer any of the following types of injuries:

• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Bruises and lacerations
• Burns
• Broken bones

Any of these can be extremely painful. They may require surgery and long-term physical therapy. If this is the case, you’re going to be out of work for a while. You could lose weeks or months’ worth of wages. For some people, their injuries are so bad that they can’t work again. Or they may not be able to do the same kind of work they did prior to the accident. If this is the case, then you may be entitled to damages. Your attorney is going to work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.

Most Personal Injury Plaintiffs Demand Certain Types of Damages

It doesn’t matter what kind of accident you’re involved in, you may be entitled to damages. In most of these cases, a Norfolk personal injury attorney will demand any or all of the following:

• Medical bills
• Future medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost future income
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability

Every case is unique. The types of damages you may deserve depends on the facts of your case. The only way to know for sure is to meet with an experienced personal injury attorney in Norfolk, Virginia. They can review your case and get a better handle on how best to proceed. If they believe your case has merit, they’ll offer to handle it for you. If they don’t think you have a valid claim, they’ll let you know. You can count on them being honest. The last thing they want to do is waste anybody’s time – yours or theirs.

Your Norfolk Personal Injury Attorney Will Have to Prove Your Case

Before you can demand any sort of compensation, your Norfolk personal injury lawyer needs to prove two things. First, they need to prove that the defendant was at fault. In most personal injury cases, this means they need to demonstrate negligence. To do this, they’ll need to show the following:

• The defendant owed you a duty of care – This isn’t usually hard to prove. If you’re involved in a car accident, the defendant owed you the same duty of care they’d owe any motorist. The same is true with a dog bite. The dog’s owner owes you a certain duty of care. 
• They breached this duty – This is the hardest part of your case. Your attorney needs to show that the other party did something that a reasonable person wouldn’t have done. 
• You were injured – As long as you go to the hospital, you should have proof of your injuries. This is why it’s so important that you go to the emergency room.
• Your injuries were directly caused by their breach – Unless something happens in between the accident and your arrival at the hospital, this shouldn’t be hard to prove. 

Once you prove negligence, your attorney still needs to show that you were hurt. For each type of damages you demand, you need to submit specific proof that you did indeed suffer a loss.

You Need Specific Evidence to Prove Lost Future Income

One of the types of damages mentioned earlier is lost wages and lost future income. These are not a given. You need to submit very specific proof that you’ve suffered these types of damages. For example, when it comes to lost wages, you need to show that you missed more than a couple of weeks of work. Your Norfolk personal injury attorney can submit copies of your timesheets or paystubs. This will show how many hours you missed. It will also show how much income you’ve lost as a result of the accident.

For lost future income, it’s a bit harder to prove. If you can no longer do the same kind f work you did before the accident, you should be compensated. Your attorney will have to show that you are earning less now than you did before. They can do this using tax returns. They can also submit affidavits from your employer. 

Contact an Experienced Norfolk Personal Injury Attorney Right Away

If you’re hurt in any sort of accident, call an experienced personal injury attorney in Norfolk right away. The consultation is free, and you don’t pay anything until your case is resolved.