Injuries caused by explosion accidents can lead to many negative outcomes. Victims can face serious hardships in their lives, including physical pain, mental and emotional trauma, and costly medical treatment. The recovery period from an explosion can be lengthy and can stretch for many months or years following the blast. Some injuries caused may even be permanent.
Another aspect of damages in explosion cases is the loss of income. While victims may, fortunately, survive the explosion itself, their life can be severely altered by the financial hardships that ensue. Major injuries can lead to an inability to work, sometimes even leaving victims permanently disabled. The loss of income impacts not only the primary victim but also their family members, who may rely on their income for survival.
In explosion accident cases, it is important to seek recovery of full lost income. This is a key component to making a victim whole again following a sudden and unexpected accident.
Lost Wages
The first type of lost income that victims may pursue is a claim for lost wages. In its simplest form, lost wages occur when an injured person misses time at their job because of their injuries. This may occur because the injured person is physically unable to return to work. Physically demanding jobs such as construction, manufacturing, oil production, and coal mining may be impossible to do when a person has been seriously hurt in an explosion. In addition, you may seek damages for lost wages even if you can work but are forced to miss time due to medical procedures or appointments stemming from the accident.
In order to prove a claim for ongoing lost wages, there must be documentation of what the injured person's wages were at the time of the explosion. This claim can be established through copies of your W-2, paystubs, 1099s, employer payroll records, work schedules, and other forms of documentation. The most important thing to do is to document the days and hours that you should have been at work and then prepare a summary of the amount of wages that you lost due to your inability to work.
Loss of Future Wages and Earning Capacity
In addition to ongoing wages, victims of explosion accidents can also seek recovery of future wages that they lost due to their injuries. A future wages claim may be allowed when the victim presents evidence that the blast resulted in injuries that prevented their future ability to work and earn a living.
If the victim is unable to work, i.e., completely disabled, then the claim can be based on a projection of what their full salary would have been over time in the future if they were able to work. In some instances, you may be able to return to work but at a lower level than before. You may not be able to do a physically demanding job, but you could work at a desk job, for instance. Or you may only be able to work part-time instead of full-time. In this case, the claim becomes about the difference in what the injured person is earning now compared to what they would have earned if they were still working full-time at the job they had before the explosion.
Victims who sustained serious injuries may also have a reduction in the number of years that they are able to work. In some states, a person can make a claim for a reduction in their overall income based on fewer working years. For instance, if a healthy person can work to age 65 but an explosion accident victim can only work until age 55 because of their injuries, the victim may have a claim for the lost salary over the 10-year period that they could have been working.
Proving lost wages in court can be somewhat speculative and complex. It always involves future projections about what a person would have earned based upon a number of factors, including their age, job title, current salary, educational background, and projected future salary. It is normally best to retain an expert witness when making a claim for future lost wages. The expert can more accurately and precisely testify to the many economic and other components comprising a future lost wages claim. When you have a gas explosion attorney representing you, they will take care of finding the appropriate expert witness to help strengthen your case.
Permanent Disability Injuries
Sadly, in some explosion accidents, victims may become permanently disabled and unable to work any job ever again due to their injuries. In this case, there are other remedies available. Outside of the primary explosion litigation, victims can seek to recover from other sources, including a short-term or long-term disability policy. They may also apply for Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits.
The process of applying for disability and SSDI is often long and tedious. If you suffered serious injuries in an explosion, it is best to speak with an experienced national explosion accident lawyer about your potential disability claim as soon as possible.
Skilled Explosion Accident Attorneys
Here at Burg Simpson, our lawyers are standing by to help you at any time. We have a team of dedicated legal professionals with the experience and skills necessary to help you receive a full recovery. We understand that lost wages are financially devastating. Our firm works with reputable experts to help establish lost wage claims on behalf of our clients. We can present a compelling case to an insurance company or a jury as to the full value of your losses. Over the years, we have recovered more than 2 billion dollars in compensation for injured clients.
We are standing by to take your call at any time. Our firm offers free consultations and case evaluations for all potential and prospective clients. When you need a tough and aggressive law firm, you can count on us to deliver results. There is no financial obligation until we obtain a recovery on your behalf. To speak with a nationwide explosion accident attorney, please reach out to us using our online intake form or give us a call at (866) 695-1236.
