Lost Wages Calculator
An injury does not just cost you medical bills. It costs you the time you could not work. Add up the income you have lost, whether you are paid hourly, on salary, or run your own business, and see it as a number you can bring to a claim. Free and private.
Total regular hours you could not work.
Counted at 1.5x your rate.
Based on 260 working days a year.
Prorated bonus, profit sharing, or benefits you missed.
Your typical net income, averaged over the last 1 to 3 years.
Specific canceled work you can document.
If the injury limits your future earnings, add the estimated total here.
General information only, not legal or financial advice. Your claim depends on your records, state law, and negotiation. A local attorney can value the full case.
What counts, by how you are paid
Lost wages are more than your base paycheck. Here is what belongs in the claim for each kind of work, and the proof that backs it up.
Hourly workers
- Base hourly wage for every missed hour
- Overtime you regularly worked
- Shift differentials for nights or weekends
- Tips and commissions you lost
Salaried workers
- Base salary for the time you missed
- Prorated bonuses and incentives
- Profit sharing you did not receive
- Lost benefits like 401(k) match
Self-employed and gig
- Net business income during recovery
- Canceled contracts and lost clients
- Jobs you had to turn down
- Verifiable 1099 and invoice revenue
How to build your lost wage claim
Four steps from a rough number to a documented claim an insurer takes seriously.
Add up missed income
Count every day and hour of work you lost, from the accident until you were able to return.
Include the extras
Overtime, bonuses, tips, and benefits all count, not just base pay.
Gather your proof
Pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, and an employer letter turn an estimate into a documented claim.
Add future losses
If the injury limits what you can earn going forward, that lost earning capacity is part of the claim too.
Lost wage questions, answered
Clear answers about claiming the income you lost. For your case, a local attorney can go deeper.
Any income you missed because of the injury, from the time of the accident until you recover. That includes base pay, overtime you normally work, tips, commissions, bonuses, and the value of benefits like employer health contributions or retirement matching.
With records. Employees usually need recent pay stubs, W-2s, and a letter from their employer confirming missed time and pay. Self-employed workers use tax returns, 1099s, profit and loss statements, invoices, and client logs to show what they would have earned.
It is different from lost wages. Lost wages are the income you already missed. Lost earning capacity is the money you will not be able to earn in the future because the injury permanently limits the work you can do. It often needs a medical and vocational opinion to value.
Often yes. Paid time off has real value, and using it because of an injury can be part of your claim. Keep a record of the days you used and when, and let an attorney advise on how your state treats it.
No. This is a working estimate of your lost income, which is one part of a larger claim that also includes medical costs and pain and suffering. Your actual recovery depends on the evidence, the policy limits, and negotiation. A local attorney can value the full picture.
Keep going
Lost income while you recover?
Those missed paychecks belong in your claim. Connect free with a local attorney who can prove them.
Available 24/7 · Free consultation · No obligation