What is my average daily wage?
Your average daily wage is how much you earn at your place of work every day. This is important to understand because you will need to factor in lost wages when trying to settle a personal injury claim.
If you work hourly, your average daily wage will be easy to calculate. If you earn $8 an hour and work 8 hours per day, your average daily wage will be $64.
If you are salaried, your average daily wage will be a little more complex. Let’s say you’re paid every two weeks, and you earn $1,500 with every paycheck. Your average daily wage will be the average you would earn were you to be paid every day, not bi-weekly.
There are 10 business days in two weeks. So if you work a typical 9-5 job, your average daily wage will be $150 if your bi-weekly paycheck is $1,500.
You can use your average daily wage to calculate how much income for lost wages to claim when you are filing a personal injury claim. If you were involved in a car accident and had to miss four days of work, you can claim an additional four days of average daily wages in your demand letter. This will remain true even if you had paid vacation and did not need to take an unpaid day from work.
The only time you may not be able to sue for your average daily wage is if you are unable to work on days you would not typically work anyway. For example: Let’s say you were involved in a car accident on a Sunday and had to spend the following Monday in the hospital, and could return to work the following day. If you only typically worked Wednesdays and Thursdays, you would not be eligible for claiming a lost day of work.
If you need help computing your average daily wage and filing a personal injury suit, you should contact a qualified personal injury attorney as quickly as possible. He or she can help you get the settlement you deserve.
