Questions about money often arise shortly after suffering a serious injury. Understanding how to calculate lost wages and future earnings after a severe injury in Las Vegas involves analyzing how an injury impacts your ability to earn income in the future. Learn how to identify and calculate this type of loss to pursue all of your economic damages according to Nevada law.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

At Easton & Easton, we recognize how much our clients’ devastating physical injuries can lead to major financial destruction. With over 100 years of combined litigation experience, our personal injury lawyers has handled many claims involving large dollar amounts for both lost income and diminished earning capacity.

Easton & Easton uses employment records, medical reports, and professionals to help determine losses associated with wages. We evaluate these claims under Nevada law to determine how injuries impact past earnings and future earning capacity.

Calculating Lost Wages From Time Missed at Work

After a severe injury, lost wages are grounded in what you’ve already missed, including paychecks that you cannot recover. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks workplace injuries by federal jurisdiction, and in 2023, there were 946,500 private industry employee nonfatal injuries that caused days away from work in the United States.

Out of the 36,600 Nevada private industry injury and illness cases reported, 22,500 were serious cases, which included days away from work, job transfer, or restriction while healing.

How Future Earnings Are Measured After a Severe Injury

To determine future loss of earnings, professionals compare what a person’s earnings would likely have been if they had not been catastrophically injured to what they are now able to earn. Various factors go into estimating future earning capacity, such as age, education, employment history, and how the injury limits future employment potential.

Nevada BLS data reflects that Nevada had an average weekly wage of $1,123 as of November 2025. Injuries that prevent someone from returning to full duty will significantly impact earnings over a lifetime. Determining future loss of earnings usually requires an economist or vocational professional to calculate how losses translate into dollars for a claim.

Why Severe Injuries Complicate Wage and Earnings Calculations

Serious injuries require future wage loss predictions because of their long-term impact on earning potential. Future wage loss takes into consideration more than simply lost checks during the recovery period. Among other factors, future loss of income may include promotion, pay raises, or even a change in occupation if the injured worker can no longer perform their job duties.

Future loss of income may also include benefits such as loss of retirement or health insurance. Again, taking into consideration the injured person’s restrictions, past employment history, and wages allows for a calculation of net earnings likely to be received over the course of the injured person’s life based on current wages and projected vocational outcomes.

How Lost Income and Future Earnings Are Proven in Las Vegas Injury Cases

Demonstrating lost wages and earning capacity involves putting together many different pieces of information. Lawyers will usually pull employer records, tax returns, pay stubs, and medical restrictions to help demonstrate both how much was lost and your current ability to earn.

Vocational specialists and economists may also be used to demonstrate future losses by showing how much someone in your position would have earned compared to your ability to earn going forward. A professional will often need to assess your employment history and current abilities to develop a reasonable estimate of your losses for purposes of Nevada law. The better documentation you have from the start, the better these assessments will be.

FAQs

Does Lost Income Include Tips, Bonuses, or Commission Pay?

Lost income does not just mean base pay. Many times, if you earn tips, bonuses, commissions, or incentive pay, you can include that as part of your lost income. If you can prove through prior tax returns, payroll documentation, or even an employer statement that you regularly earned that income prior to your injury, then you should be entitled to it. The main question is whether or not you consistently earned that income before your injury.

What if I Was Self-Employed at the Time of the Injury?

Loss of income claims are available for those who are self-employed as well. Supporting documentation might show minor variations. Business tax returns, profit-and-loss statements, invoices, and contracts with clients can all help demonstrate income before and after your injury. Lost opportunities and decreased productivity might also be considered. Self-employed loss of income claims deal with net income, not gross revenue.

Can Lost Wages Be Claimed if I Return to Work at Lower Pay?

Going back to work will not automatically discontinue a lost income claim. If you suffer an injury that lands you in a lesser-paying job, decreased hours, or light duty, you may be eligible to receive compensation for the difference in wages before and after the injury. Most of these circumstances require an assessment of what your job entailed before the injury occurred and what you can no longer do now. Hire a personal injury lawyer to evaluate your specific case.

How Are Lost Wage Claims Handled in Las Vegas Injury Cases?

Lost wage claims in Las Vegas personal injury cases typically involve presenting local employment records, employer verification, and medical restrictions that relate to the injured employee’s specific job duties. The court may look at local job market conditions in determining if an injured plaintiff could have found similar work. Loss of income and future earning capacity can be affected by local considerations.

Contact a Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer

When pursuing damages for lost wages and future earnings after a serious injury, meticulous attention must be paid to financial records and legal arguments. Such losses will hinge on employment history, professional testimony, and other factors involving an individual’s capacity to earn a living after being hurt under Nevada law.

At Easton & Easton, we understand the intricacies of injury cases in the Eighth Judicial District Court. We know how judges in Nevada view these types of cases and will present evidence regarding your wages and earnings accordingly. Schedule a consultation today.