Being unemployed doesn’t prevent you from applying for personal injury claims in Georgia. If the injury is so severe that it prevents you from working, you are still entitled to getting compensation for wage loss. You may also get compensation for wages you could have earned during your period of inactivity.
However, you may not be compensated for wage loss if you were not working when the accident happened. Nevertheless, you can access pain, suffering damages, and medical expenses.
Can Unemployment Benefits Affect Your Personal Injury Claim?
You can’t claim personal injury wage loss when only receiving unemployment benefits. However, the lawyers involved will consider how the injury may affect your future earning potential. There must be concrete evidence, such as medical reports, to consider this highly.
For instance, complications such as back injury, hearing loss, or visual impairment may affect the victim’s ability to apply for specific jobs. Even though you weren’t employed during the accident, your lawyer could send a testimonial explaining your willingness to return to the workforce.
Before accessing your personal injury claim, the unemployment duration should be carefully evaluated. If you have only been briefly unemployed, your lawyer can easily defend that the injury may have contributed significantly.
If you are unemployed for six months or longer, the defense may suggest certain factors are responsible for your unemployment. The factors may include a lack of skills, incompetence, or lack of financial operations.
Can I Sue as a Freelancer or Entrepreneur?
If you are a freelancer or business owner, understanding the stages of a personal injury lawsuit in Georgia will hasten the case. This is because you can quickly produce documents that support any business you are operating or running. The lawyers involved will examine your statement account to deduce your previous earnings. This will help to determine how much you have lost due to the accident.
If you are a new freelancer or business owner, an expert within the field will be consulted on the possibilities of future earnings. You may also provide information on outstanding contracts and the expected income.
What Happens to Caregivers?
If you are a caregiver or stay-at-home parent, the wage loss will be calculated based on the economic value being offered to the family. This calculation will include the transportation cost of taking the kids to school, cooking expenses, electricity bills, etc. If the injury prevents you from fulfilling these tasks and you have to hire a nanny, the cost will be included as compensation.
Rounding Up
Getting the required compensation for an unemployed person filing a personal injury claim can be complicated. Thus, you must hire a competent personal injury claim attorney who will consider every determinant and carefully calculate your losses. You should also prioritize legal teams that clearly understand the legal requirements surrounding personal injury claims in Georgia.
