Calculate past lost wages and future lost earning capacity from a personal injury. Covers hourly workers, salaried employees, self-employed individuals, and gig workers — with future income projections if your injury affects your long-term earning ability.
Select your employment type first — the form will show the relevant wage fields. Toggle future capacity reduction to project long-term losses.
👔 Employment Type & Wages
📅 Future Lost Earning Capacity
Fill in your employment details above and click Calculate to see your lost wages estimate.
⚠️ Estimate only — not legal advice. Attorney fees (typically 33–40%) are not deducted from this figure. Consult a licensed attorney before making any decisions.
Lost wages claims require documentation: pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, employer letters confirming missed days, and medical records linking your absence to the injury. Self-employed individuals must produce business records, tax returns, and evidence of lost contracts or reduced revenue. Future lost earning capacity claims typically require a vocational expert and an economist's present-value analysis. This calculator uses simplified projections — actual damages depend on expert testimony and are subject to dispute. These estimates are for educational purposes only.
Wages, salary, tips, commissions, and bonuses you didn't earn because the injury kept you from working. Requires documentation: pay stubs, employer records, and medical records confirming work limitations during the period claimed.
If your injury permanently reduces your ability to work at full capacity, you can recover the present value of that future income loss. This typically requires a vocational rehabilitation expert and an economist's analysis.
Business owners can recover both personal lost income and business losses: lost contracts, lost revenue, and overhead costs that continued while you were unable to work. Tax returns for the prior 2–3 years are critical evidence.
Gig workers (Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, etc.) can recover lost earnings but must document them through platform earnings reports, bank records, and tax records. Gig income variability can make these claims more complex to prove.
Lost fringe benefits — employer-paid health insurance, retirement contributions, paid leave — may also be recoverable as part of lost wage damages. These are often overlooked but can be substantial.
Future lost earnings are discounted to present value using economic formulas. Our calculator shows a simple projection — actual damages will be higher or lower depending on discount rates, wage growth assumptions, and life expectancy factors.
Lost wages are among the most documentable damages in a personal injury case. A licensed attorney can ensure every dollar of lost income — past and future — is properly claimed and argued.
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