How To Use A Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Calculator

By Danielle Griffin. Last Updated 10th January 2023. Welcome to our guide on how to use an actual and future loss of earnings calculator. When you’re injured in an incident that was caused by somebody else, it is sometimes possible to seek compensation by making personal injury claims. While you’ll start by claiming for your injuries, you may need to think about how you’ve been affected financially too. This might include seeking personal injury loss of earnings compensation. This guide explains the use of a loss of earnings calculator in detail and how, combined with a personal injury compensation calculator, it could give you an idea of how much compensation you could claim. We explain the role of the Ogden tables too, and how they could affect a personal injury calculator when it comes to loss of earnings.

When it comes to calculating loss of income, the question is, how do you calculate your losses? Do you use wage slips, tax documents or a loss of earnings calculator? We’ll explain what you could include in your claim and how to calculate lost earnings as we progress through this guide.

How Do I Use A Loss Of Earnings Calculator?

A calculator which can be used to work out loss of earnings

Accident Claims UK specialises in helping with personal injury claims. Our dedicated advisors review cases for free and offer legal advice at the same time. If they suspect that you have valid grounds to proceed with a claim for injury compensation, one of our solicitors could be introduced to you. Should they decide to represent you, they’ll do so on a No Win No Fee service.

Claims can be made for all sorts of reasons. We can help with road traffic accidents, medical negligence, accidents at work, criminal injury claims and many others besides. Importantly, loss of earnings could be claimed for in any of these scenarios.

To begin your claim right away, please call our advisors on 0800 073 8801. Alternatively, please read on to find out more about proving loss of earnings.

Select A Section

  1. A Guide On How To Use A Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Calculator
  2. What Is A Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claim?
  3. What Damages Could You Claim?
  4. How To Work Out Your Lost Income
  5. What Evidence Do I Need To Claim Loss Of Earnings?
  6. Evidence For Self-Employed Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claims
  7. What Are The Ogden Tables Used For?
  8. Compensation Calculation – Damages Calculator Related Losses And Benefits
  9. Do Loss Of Earnings Calculators Account For Deductions?
  10. Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Calculator
  11. No Win No Fee Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claims
  12. Claiming Loss Of Earnings – Accident Claims UK
  13. Start Your Claim
  14. Find Out More
  15. FAQs

A Guide On How to Use A Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Calculator

Personal injury compensation is designed to help you cope with the impact of your injuries. While it doesn’t mean you’ll recover any quicker, it can help you to cope during your recovery. That’s especially true if you’ve been affected financially.

For some people, the only income they’ll receive while they’re off work is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). This can result in a significant drop in income. For those who are self-employed, SSP is not possible as they don’t have an employer to pay it for them. Therefore, in this guide, we’ll look at how to claim for loss of earnings as part of a personal injury claim.

What else to consider when using a loss of earnings calculator

As well as claiming for income lost because you needed time off work, you might also need to consider future lost income. This could be used to claim for any long-term reduction or loss of income. For example, if you’re a bricklayer and your accident results in a disability to your wrist, you might not be able to continue in the same trade. If you take on a new job but can’t earn the same money, the difference could be included in your claim.

Future Loss Of Earnings Calculator – What Can You Claim For?

It would be wise to get advice from a legal professional rather than using a future loss of earnings calculator. This is because they could tell you what loss of earnings you could claim for. Calculating loss of earnings can be complex. This is because regular overtime and bonuses could be factored in. It would therefore be wise to seek legal advice so that you don’t miss out on something you might be entitled to.

When it comes to future loss of earnings, a calculator would not tell you precisely how much you could claim. This is because it would need to factor in too many variables. For example, future promotions and pay increases as well as pension contributions could be taken into consideration.

As you can see, working out future loss of earnings amounts can be complex. We would be happy to advise you on claiming future loss of earnings so please get in touch for more information.


How long do I have to claim?

Before we move on, it’s important to mention time limits. For most accident claims, you’ll have 3 years from the date you were injured to begin legal action. Where your injuries are not diagnosed until later, your limitation period will start from when you gained knowledge that they were caused by negligence (the date of knowledge).

If you would like us to review your case for free and explain what damages you could claim, please contact us today.

What Is A Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claim?

There are certain criteria a personal injury lawyer will want to check before taking on a claim. They will want to see that:

  • You were owed a duty of care by the defendant; and
  • They failed to uphold that duty because they caused an incident to occur.
  • During that incident, you were left injured.

If all of the above statements are true in your case, you could be eligible to claim compensation for your injuries. As part of that claim, you could make a loss of earnings claim. We’ll show what else could be included in the next part of this guide.

As part of your free claim assessment, an advisor will let you know what you could be compensated for. Why not call today to find out more?

What Damages Could You Claim?

When solicitors calculate personal injury claims, they split them into two potential heads of claim. They are general and special damages. Let’s now look at what is covered in each.

What are special damages?

Special damages is the term used for compensation relating to any financial impact caused by your injuries. Importantly, the idea of personal injury claims is simply to return you to the same situation you were in, financially, before the accident took place.

With regards to your earnings, special damages can include:

  • Lost income. This is a calculation to show how much income you have lost as a direct result of your injuries.
  • Future lost earnings. Compensation that covers any projected lost income because your injuries will negatively affect your income in the future. This is dependent on your prognosis. That means if a medical report suggests you’ll never be able to work at the same level again, your compensation claim should reflect this.

Other special damages that could be included in your claim are:

  • Care costs. You might claim this if you’ve needed a professional carer to support you during recovery. Alternatively, the claim could be based on an hourly rate if a family member cared for you.
  • Medical expenses. Sometimes you’ll need to pay prescription fees or fees relating to non-NHS services. Therefore, these could be claimed back.
  • Travel costs. If you have to pay for fuel, parking fees or public transport fares to get to hospital appointments linked to your injuries, you could claim these costs back.
  • Home modifications. Where you’ve been left with a long-term or permanent disability, changes to your vehicle or home may help you to cope. Therefore, the cost of this could be added to your claim.

 How would a loss of earnings calculator work when it came to criminal injury claims?

Criminal injury claims are calculated differently to many other personal injury claims. When you look at the loss of earnings in criminal injury claims, for the first 28 weeks you’re off work, you may be entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP). After the initial 28 weeks, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) may be able to compensate any loss of earnings.

For more information, get in touch on the number above.

What are general damages?

General damages are not linked to any financial harm caused by your injuries. Instead, they cover pain, suffering and loss of amenity. Within that, you could claim for:

  • Physical pain, impairment and suffering.
  • Any physical disfigurement.
  • Emotional or psychological injuries or anguish.
  • Reduced quality of life.
  • Loss of companionship.

The amount of compensation awarded as general damages will be based on the severity of your injuries. We’ll explain how this is determined later on.

How To Work Out Your Lost Income

When you work out your lost income, the calculation will be based on your net or take-home pay. You don’t base it on your pre-tax salary because personal injury compensation is exempt from taxation.

As well as your net pay, any bonuses, overtime and commission might be added to your claim as well. Additionally, any other work-related losses plus future lost earnings might be included as well.

Loss of earnings calculator

The table below shows the calculation that’s often used to work out your net loss of earnings. Please note, these figures are merely examples and serve to illustrate how lost earnings could be calculated.

Edit
Month Net Wage (as per wage slip) Net Annual Income Net Daily Income Days Off Work Because Of Injury Net Income Loss
March 2020 £1,900
April 2020 £2,000 £23,004 (£1,917 * 12) £88.48 (£23,400 / 52 weeks / 5 days 19 £1,681 (19 x £88.48)
May 2020 £1,850.99
Average Monthly Wage £1,917

Let’s explain how this works.

  • Your solicitor will ask to see 3 or 4 months worth of payslips in the build-up to the accident date, as well as after the accident date.
  • They’ll calculate how much you earn per day, just like in the table above.
  • They’ll then look at how much you earned after the accident date, noting any differences in pay.
  • If, for example, your employer didn’t pay you at all, you can use the daily pay calculation to work out how much you lost altogether.
  • If your employer made a partial contribution to your salary, you would deduct what was paid to get an accurate assessment of how much you lost.

If you are not sure what level of compensation you could claim as loss of earnings, why not call our advisors? After reviewing your claim, an advisor will explain whether you have the grounds to claim and how much lost income you could be entitled to.

What Evidence Do I Need To Claim Loss Of Earnings?

One common question about personal injury claims relates to the evidence a claimant would need. As well as providing evidence that the accident and your injuries were caused by someone breaching the duty of care they owed you, you’d need to obtain some proof that you’d lost out on income if you wish to be compensated for it.

The evidence you could provide as part of your loss of earnings claim might include payslips which contain information about your salary and bonuses you may receive monthly or annually, such as attendance or target based bonuses.

You may be wondering whether you can use a loss of earnings calculator to get a rough estimate of how much you could receive. ?However, this would depend on your specific circumstances.

To discuss loss of earnings in personal injury claims, get in touch using the number above.

Evidence For Self-Employed Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claims

The process of claiming as a self-employed worker can be more difficult but not impossible. This might be the case if your earnings vary because your work isn’t the same every week. This will mean that you may find it more difficult to quantify your net daily income.

Something that you may need to do is to inform your accountant if you need to take time off work due to sickness. Also, it is a good idea to keep records about:

  • Contracts that you’ve not been able to work on because of your injuries.
  • Emails or letters you’ve sent turning down work because you were injured.
  • Invoices showing your earnings leading up to your accident and the period after it happened.

Where possible, you should also ask your accountant for your accounts for the 3 years leading up to the accident.

Don’t be put off from claiming if you’re self-employed. You could still be compensated for loss of earnings. Also, we can help with zero-hours workers, contractors, agency workers and temporary staff who need to claim too.

What Are The Ogden Tables Used For?

As we have mentioned earlier, as well as claiming for lost income, you can claim for future losses too. The question is, though, how do you calculate something that’s going to happen in the future?

Well, that’s where Ogden Tables can help. They are provided by the Government Actuary’s Department. The idea is that the lawyer who is using them can calculate what a loss might be worth in the future based on several factors. For example, with regards to future loss of earnings, life expectancy is one factor to consider.

The idea is to calculate a lump sum amount so that the claim can be finalised. Ogden tables are one tool legal professionals use to help achieve this but not the only one.

Compensation Calculation – Damages Calculator Related Losses And Benefits

A damages calculator may not be able to consider all your related losses and benefits. Before your claim is submitted, you may want to work with a solicitor to ensure that all losses are considered in your compensation calculation. That’s because once your claim is settled, it cannot be reopened.

A solicitor will calculate your personal injury claim, including any loss of benefits. These may include bonuses, pension losses, holiday losses and even loss of promotion. You may have additional losses not mentioned here. Your solicitor will also consider these when it comes time to work out your compensation calculation.

Loss of job benefits could be claimed for under special damages. Your solicitor will help you gather the relevant proof of these.

Call our advisors to learn more about what damages could be included in your personal injury claim.

Could I use a loss of earnings calculator if I’ve incurred loss of earnings due to my child’s accident?

After an accident, you may have had to give up work to provide care for your child, and become their full-time carer. Or, you might have needed to have some time away from work while your child recovered.

If you would like assistance finding out whether you could claim for your own loss of earnings due to having to care for your child, we would advise you to call our team for guidance and support.

Do Loss Of Earnings Calculators Account For Deductions?

It is possible that there might be some deductions to any compensation you receive. These might happen if you received benefits whilst off work due to your injuries, for example.

Your solicitor will explain clearly how they have calculated your claim value and whether any deductions are expected when your claim is reviewed.

If you’d like to know more about your options, please call our advisors today to discuss your case.

Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Calculator

In addition to the loss of earnings calculator shown earlier, we have decided to provide some compensation figures as well. Our table below lists some injuries and potential compensation ranges as listed in the Judicial College Guidelines. This is something used in personal injury claims by lawyers, courts and insurers to help value injuries.

Edit
Injury Compensation Range Important notes
Injuries affecting sight (e) £49,270 to £54,830 Sight is completely lost in one eye.
Deafness/ Tinnitus (b) £90,750 to £109,650 Complete deafness.
(b) Moderate Neck Injury (i) £24,990 to £38,490 These injuries, including dislocations or fractures, may require spinal fusion and will result in severe immediate symptoms.
(c) Minor Back Injury (i) £7,890 to £12,510 A full recovery without surgery within 2-5 years.
(c) Moderate Shoulder Injury £7,890 to £12,770 Frozen shoulder that limits movement and causes symptoms for around two years.
Hand Injury (b) £55,820 to £84,570 Damage to both hands that is serious.
(b) Severe Leg Injury (iv) £27,760 to £39,200 Moderate injuries such as complicated fractures.
(b) Severe Ankle Injury £31,310 to £50,060 Injuries that need an extensive treatment period.
(d) Less Severe Psychological Injury £1,540 to £5,860 Factors such as the impact on daily activities are considered.

Each settlement range is based on the severity of your injuries. Therefore, you will need to have a medical assessment as part of your claim.

These are straightforward meetings and nothing to worry about. An independent specialist will be booked to assess your injuries. They’ll ask questions, examine you and read through your medical notes. Once done, they’ll create a report that contains a prognosis for the future.

The report can be used to:

  • Show the severity of your injuries.
  • Prove that they were caused or worsened by the accident or incident. (If there’s no link between your injuries and the accident, you may find it difficult to claim.)

Your solicitor can also use the report to value your injuries.

If you’d like a free estimate of what you could claim, why not reach out to our advisors?

No Win No Fee Personal Injury Loss Of Earnings Claims

We know that some claimants may be concerned about their solicitor’s fees if they aren’t paid compensation. That’s why our advisors of personal injury solicitors provide a No Win No Fee service. It means they’ll only take on claims they believe can be won. Furthermore, it reduces the financial risk of funding a solicitor’s services.

If you decide to proceed, and a solicitor agrees to work on your case, you’ll receive a Conditional Fee Agreement (the formal term for a No Win No Fee agreement). This explains what your solicitor needs to achieve if they are to be paid.

Within the No Win No Fee agreement, there will be a section about success fees. This is a small percentage of any compensation that you’ll pay to your solicitor if your case is won. The fee is capped legally so you can rest assured that you won’t be overcharged.

To learn if your claim is suitable for our solicitor’s No Win No Fee service, why not check with an advisor today?

Claiming Loss Of EarningsAccident Claims UK

If you want to make a claim for loss of earnings, we can help. We have a team of friendly advisors that combine excellent customer service with outstanding legal knowledge. Our helpful team will handle your enquiry appropriately, and we will answer any questions you may have.

Accident Claims UK’s advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our service is nationwide, so we can help you no matter where you’re based. Additionally, our advisors can assess your claim to determine whether you’re eligible to seek loss of earnings when making a personal injury claim. If you are, they could assign one of our solicitors to represent your case.

Our solicitors have experience in managing all kinds of claims, including personal injury claims. As such, they could help you through each stage of the claims process, such as helping you gather evidence to support your claim and arranging an independent medical assessment, should you need to attend one. They can also accurately value what compensation amounts you may receive.

These are just some of the reasons for you to use Accident Claims UK if you’re claiming loss of earnings. See the section below for how to get in touch with us today.

Start Your Claim

We hope this guide on personal injury loss of earnings claims has proven useful. If you are now thinking of taking action, you can contact us by:

Our claims line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An advisor will take the details of your claim and explain your options for free. Remember, if your claim is taken on, our solicitors provide a No Win No Fee service.

Find Out More

Now that you’ve read our guide on how to use a loss of earnings calculator, we’ve added some extra resources that might help during a compensation claim.

Pay And Wages – Details on your rights relating to being paid from Acas.

NHS: Find Services Near You – If you need to request copies of your medical records, you can use this guide to find the address of NHS services in your area.

Statutory Sick Pay – Government advice on the current rate of SSP and when you are entitled to it.

Back Injury Claims – Advice on claiming compensation for a back injury sustained because of somebody else’s negligence.

Local Authority Claims – Information on the claims process if you’ve been injured because of the council’s negligence.

Slipped At Work – This guide explains your options if you’ve slipped at work and injured yourself.

FAQs

In the final part of our guide, we’ve added information about compensation settlements that you may find useful.

Do you pay tax on your compensation payout?

Laws relating to personal injury claims mean you do not need to pay tax on any compensation you are paid. This is true whether your payment is made periodically or in one lump sum. You don’t pay tax whether your claim is settled out of court or if compensation is awarded following a court hearing.

Can I claim for future lost earnings and income?

It is important to think about future suffering when claiming compensation. Therefore, if your ability to work in the future is affected by an accident, future lost earnings may need to be factored into your claim. Your age, position, job prospects and salary could all be considered in this instance.

How long could my claim take to settle?

Personal injury claims can take as little as 6 to 9 months to be settled. These include cases where the defendant admits full liability and you have fully recovered from your injuries. Where liability is denied or the full extent of your injuries is not clear, the claims process could take longer.

What happens if I decline the settlement offered?

If you are not happy with a settlement offer in a compensation claim, it’s important to discuss it with your solicitor. If your solicitor agrees, they could negotiate for a higher compensation payment. However, if you decline the offer against your solicitor’s advice, you should be aware that you may have cost penalties if the claim goes to court and is settled for less.

What if I make a mistake using a loss of earnings calculator?

We would not advise claimants to rely totally on the amounts generated by a loss of earnings calculator or future loss of earnings calculator. The calculator can only give a rough guide as to how much you may be owed.

Instead, you could call our team to discuss your potential payout.

Is a personal injury compensation calculator accurate?

A personal injury compensation calculator could give you a rough estimate as to the compensation that your settlement may comprise.

However, if you would like a free valuation of your claim, our advisors can help. They can provide a more accurate estimation of what your claim may consist of. 

Get in touch on the number above.

How accurate would a future loss of earnings calculator be?

If you’re looking to gain insight into compensation for future loss of earnings, a calculator can only provide a rough estimate. Here at Accident Claims UK, we have experience guiding claimants on how compensation payouts work, and we could offer you guidance tailored to the facts and circumstances of your case.

What are Ogden tables?

The Ogden tables are used to calculate costs and losses in personal injury claims and fatal accident claims.

As these tables can seem complex, you may benefit from calling our team to learn more about whether they will be used when calculating your settlement.

How long doe it take to get an estimate of loss of earnings?

If you choose to hire a solicitor, they can calculate your future loss of earnings more accurately than a future loss of earnings calculator.

To find out how one of our solicitors could help, call our team.

I don’t understand how to use a personal injury calculator, can you help?

We understand that online calculators could be complicated to use. Our advisors are here on hand to offer free legal advice and guidance. We could offer insight into compensation claims for loss of earnings and other financial expenses as well as physical and psychological injuries. 

Why not call our team today. We would be happy to explain how such claims work in detail. We could even provide you with a No Win No Fee solicitor if you’re eligible to make a claim for compensation.

Thanks for reading about how to claim for personal injury loss of earnings and how to use a loss of earnings calculator.

Guide by BH

Edited by RV