Can I Get Compensation If I Missed Work After a Car Accident?

Missed work after a car accident? You’re not alone—and for many accident victims in Arkansas, lost income is one of the most immediate and stressful consequences of being injured. The costs of a car accident can add up quickly. For many accident victims, this includes not only the costs they have to pay out-of-pocket, but also the costs resulting from their inability to work. 

Regardless of how much you make, missed work after a car accident can quickly disrupt your financial stability—even a day or two away from your job can put pressure on your monthly budget.

This raises an important question: Can you seek financial compensation if you missed work after a car accident? 

The short answer is, “Maybe.” Whether you can seek financial compensation for missed work after a car accident in Arkansas depends on two key factors: (i) what coverage you have under your auto insurance policy; and (ii) whether someone else was at fault in the collision. 

Seeking Compensation for Lost Earnings Under Your Auto Insurance Policy 

One option for seeking compensation when you miss work after a car accident is to file a claim under your auto insurance policy. However, in order to file a claim, you need to have the right type of coverage available. 

Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance provides coverage for lost income after a car accident. If you have PIP coverage under your auto insurance policy (or if a member of your household has PIP coverage under his or her auto insurance policy), you may be able to file a PIP claim for your accident. 

Unlike most other types of auto insurance, PIP provides coverage on a “no fault” basis. This means that you can file a PIP claim regardless of who was at fault in your car accident. However, the downside of PIP is that coverage limits are usually pretty low, so even if you have a PIP claim, it still might not cover all of your lost earnings. This means it might only cover a portion of your losses from missed work after a car accident, leaving you to explore other sources of compensation.

Seeking Compensation for Lost Earnings When Someone Else Was At Fault in Your Car Accident

For this reason, even if you can file a PIP claim, you will most likely still want to explore the other options you have available. This starts with determining if someone else was at fault in your car accident. If someone else (i.e., the other driver) was at fault, you may be able to obtain compensation under the at-fault party’s insurance policy. 

Under Arkansas law, drivers are required to carry a minimum of $25,000 in liability coverage per person per accident (in addition to $25,000 in coverage for property damage). This means that if you were hit by another driver, you should have access to at least $25,000 in coverage for your lost earnings, medical bills, and other injury-related losses. But, many drivers choose to carry additional coverage, and if you have grounds to file a liability claim, you will want to make sure you have a clear understanding of the coverage that is available to you. 

In some cases, car accident victims will have other types of claims as well. For example, if the driver who hit you was working, you could have a claim under his or her employer’s liability insurance policy. Or, if a road defect played a role in your car accident, you may have a claim against a state or local government agency. Filing these types of claims provides an additional opportunity to seek compensation for your lost earnings, and, if you have grounds to file one of these claims, an experienced car accident lawyer will be able to help you seek the full compensation you deserve. 

If you’ve missed work after a car accident and you have a valid claim, your next question will likely be how much you can recover.

How Much Compensation Are You Entitled to Receive?

Let’s say you have a claim for lost earnings after a car accident in Arkansas. How much compensation are you entitled to receive?

The answer to this question depends on your specific circumstances. Your current wage or salary, how much time you have missed from work, and how much time you will miss from work in the future are all key factors. But, there are other important factors to consider as well. It is also important to keep in mind that you may also be entitled to compensation for other financial and non-financial losses. Given that this is the case, if you have been injured in a car accident in Arkansas, we strongly recommend speaking with a lawyer about your legal rights as soon as possible. 

Talk to an Arkansas Car Accident Lawyer in Rogers for FREE 

One of the most important decisions you will make after a negligent driver injures you in a car accident is your choice of attorney to represent you. An experienced car accident lawyer can be the difference between recovering the full compensation you’re entitled to under Arkansas law and walking away with far less than you deserve.

Contact Oliver Law Firm today online or at 479-202-5200 for a FREE case evaluation. We serve clients across Arkansas and throughout the United States from our office in Rogers, AR.