What about the income I lose because of my injury?

Any income or other economic loss you incur as a result of your injury will be included as part of your claim. You are entitled to not just lost wages, but also lost sick time or vacation time you take to cover your absence from work, and other benefits such as retirement or bonuses you lose because of your absence from work.

Your car insurance policy will provide “personal injury protection” (PIP) benefits. PIP benefits include partial compensation for your income loss, regardless of who caused the collision. Typically, PIP coverage includes payment for 70 percent of your lost income, up to a maximum of $1,250 per month. Most PIP policies do not provide coverage for lost income if you are off work less than two weeks. Most PIP policies cover lost time up to a total of one year.

Any employment-related losses you incur that are not paid under your PIP coverage will be included as part of your claim against the driver who caused the collision. The insurance company for the driver at fault is not required to pay for your income loss until final resolution of your claim. This can present a problem if your injury causes prolonged time loss, because there is often no resource available to help you get through the lean time. Long term disability insurance is available on the market, but most people don’t purchase it.


Personal Injury Claims