Can I Get Reimbursed for Missing Work After a Car Accident in Alabama? – Judge Knows
What follows is a transcript of an interview with J. David Greene on “Judge Knows,” a legal question-and-answer segment on WKRG News 5.
April Douglas: After a car accident, injuries can impact more than your health — they can impact your paycheck too. Those bills add up quickly, David, and missed work adds financial stress that a lot of people can’t easily handle. David Greene of Greene & Phillips Injury Lawyers is here to help us understand more. David, thanks for being here.
David Greene: Absolutely.
April Douglas: All right, let’s talk about it. If someone has to miss work because of an accident, can they be reimbursed for those lost wages?
David Greene: Absolutely. If they’re missing work, if it’s a result of the accident, if the physician is keeping them out of work — if you’ve got a broken arm, or a leg, or a soft-tissue injury that’s severe — certainly we can make sure that happens. As far as the evaluation of your case, your lost wages, we can get those back. Pain and suffering, mental anguish, all the medical bills — there’s a lot to it, but that is certainly part of it. And it makes a huge difference if you’re out of work. Everyone has to have a paycheck. We all have bills — the power bill, the water bill, all the different bills. Children, they don’t wait; it comes through every single month. But certainly we can help you with that, and we can make a huge difference with it. So you want to make sure you talk to your Greene & Phillips lawyer about lost wages and how we can make sure you’re being paid those back.
April Douglas: It’s more than just saying, “I missed a paycheck here or there.” What do I need to bring to you to prove those lost wages?
David Greene: Well, pay stubs would be great. W-2s, even a letter from your employer — those can be provided very easily. We get those oftentimes; employers are willing to give you that, no problem at all. You just want to be able to prove it to the other side: “Look, I was out of work for a month.” I’ve had clients who have been out for a couple of years, and so providing that information is critical. It’s a huge amount of money that you’re entitled to and that you should be paid back.
April Douglas: In this digital world, that’s probably pretty easy to gather — the information you need.
David Greene: Absolutely.
April Douglas: Let’s talk about someone who’s using PTO, or vacation, or sick time. Are they just out of luck?
David Greene: Well, actually, no. There’s a value to that. You think about it — you earned it. So if you’ve earned paid time off, or anything else, that has to be paid back as well. You may not get the time off back, but there’s certainly a money value for it. We can calculate that, put it into your demand package, make sure the other driver’s insurance pays you, and you’re fully compensated.
April Douglas: Are we talking about just the time I’ve missed, or anticipated time as well — for lack of a better word?
David Greene: Well, any time that you miss, you certainly can be paid, and there are variations of that. We can calculate all of it and negotiate it into a total package to make sure you’re paid. That’s a critical part. I’m so glad you asked, because people need to know they’re entitled to be paid for any work time they miss.
April Douglas: All right. And they can pop on in and see David Greene at Greene & Phillips Injury Lawyers. Thank you so much.
David Greene: Thank you.
Originally aired on WKRG News 5’s Judge Knows
