An automobile accident may leave you severely injured and unable to go back to work.
If you have been invovled in an auto accident, and as a result have taken some time off work, you may be wondering when you should return. In this post, our St. Louis accident attorney answers some of the common questions regarding returning to work after a car accident.
Will going back to work ruin your case?
It is important to keep in mind that returning to work does not end your legal case. As a plaintiff, you have the responsibility to minimize your losses. If you do not return to work within a reasonable amount of time, you could hurt your claim. When you go back to work as soon as you are able to, you fulfill your responsibility to minimize losses. You will still be able to claim the time you took off in the past to recover from the injuries. Additionally, you may be able to claim future income loss if your injuries reduced your capacity to work.
Can you still claim accident benefits if you go back to work?
Generally, you can still claim no-fault benefits.
Does going back to work mean you are fully recovered?
In most cases, individuals return to work out of financial necessity. If you go back to work, it doesn’t mean you are all better or that your symptoms have gone away.
There should be a medical basis
Being involved in an accident does not automatically entitle you to wage loss benefits. In order to claim wage loss, you have to prove that there is a medical basis for your inability to return to work after a car accident. Your treating doctor must recommended that you take some time off work to recover.
Will going back to work make my condition worse?
In many cases, it actually does the opposite. As long as the injuries do not prevent you from performing your job, returning to work may actually reduce discomfort and pain. Additionally, it will ease many of your financial burdens. It is important though, that you do not go back to work against your doctors orders, as this could actually jeopardize not only your legal case but also your health.