After a Georgia car accident, an injured person may seek recovery for lost wages and, in some cases, diminished future earning capacity, both of which fall within economic damages. These address income-related losses that result from the injury.
Lost wages cover income already lost. Lost wages generally address income the injured person lost as a result of being unable to work after the accident. How the lost income is documented shapes this part of the claim.
Future earning capacity addresses lasting effects. Where an injury affects a person’s ability to earn in the future, diminished earning capacity may be sought, addressing the longer-term impact on the person’s ability to work. An injury that permanently limits lifting or standing can reduce earning ability in a way a temporary one does not.
Both rest on evidence. Recovery for these losses generally depends on evidence connecting the injury to the lost income and, for future losses, to the diminished capacity. How the evidence establishes the connection is the pivotal point.
Recovery for lost wages and future earning capacity generally involves income already lost, the lasting effect on earning ability, and the evidence supporting each. What lost wages cover, how future capacity is addressed, and how the evidence establishes the losses are the factors behind this recovery. For someone whose work depends on physical ability, an injury that permanently limits that ability can affect earnings well beyond the time missed immediately after a crash. Establishing that longer-term effect generally calls for evidence connecting the specific injury to the person’s capacity to perform their work.