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A couple months ago you were tooling on down the avenue, minding your own business, this fumbling, stumbling man by the name of Freddie Fuddle flew through a Stop Sign and plowed into you with a gigantic, rip-roaring, screeching broadside. You were wearing your seat belt but it was still a thundering crash that wrenched and whipped you around the inside of your motor vehicle something fierce!
Now, after a long recovery period, Fuddle’s carrier, state auto insurance company is clamoring to close the case and they’ve assigned Claims Adjuster I. M. Strong, to handle your case. You and Strong are sitting at your kitchen table talking about your settlement dollars. It turns out he got some hang-up regarding your lost income. Well, here are some things you require to accept:
Lost wages are one of the most important element’s of your damages. Listen to me carefully when I say, “You should not think about the days you missed from work as Lost Time and Earnings. It’s not Lost Time and Earnings - - it’s Lost Earning Capacity?
You ask, that’s Lost Earning Capacity all about? I thought I could only collect for my Lost Income from student auto insurance. The answer to that is, many situations you can claim lost income EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T LOST ONE SINGLE PENNY. For example, this can happen when your salary is paid because you’ve elected to apply for the sick leave that due you, or because of an Accident and Health Policy available for you to take advantage of, or some other such arrangement.
In most instances - - even if you were paid while out of work - - you should still get that money routinely identified as Lost Wages. Why? Because that’s your Lost Earning Capacity. Your Lost Earning Capacity is what’s called a Compensatory Damage. Don’t let Strong swindle you out of that Compensatory Damage. Even if you’ve received an income, in some other way, you’re still entitled to it. Strong will do everything he can to take advantage of you, especially when it comes to getting paid for your Lost Earning Capacity. During the course of every settlement negotiation he gets involved in, he’ll try that tactic on for size, and it’s mind-boggling how often he gets away with it.
TOTAL DISABILITY and/or PARTIAL DISABILITY: For every week of Total Disability (a fact which must be stated in your doctors Final Medical Report) you should use your gross weekly income - - even if you were paid! (For every week of Partial Disability your doctor states in that Final Medical Report, you have the right to claim a substantial percentage of your income, during that period, even if you didn’t lose any).
Because the following five points give value to your claim be ready to talk with Smart about and, wherever possible, prove:
(1) If your work demands heavy labor and/or lifting. (2) If you lost any vacation time or sick leave. (3) If there was any possible loss of money you could have earned in the future - - either with auto insurance company ratings or maybe other income you’ve got bubbling and boiling on the side. (4) If you had to forgo any bonuses. (5) If you lost an opportunity that would have led to a better job.
If any of the above five points are true than your claim is worth more money!
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