In a North Carolina personal-injury case, you can recover the earnings you would have made if the collision had not sidelined you. To convince an insurance adjuster, judge, or jury that your lost-income figure is accurate, you must submit reliable, easy-to-understand documentation. Below is a checklist of the most common proofs and how each one fits North Carolina law.
This letter—sometimes called a wage and salary verification—is the foundation of a lost-wage package. It should:
A recent W-2 shows your annual earnings and tax withholding for the prior year, creating a before-and-after snapshot. Present at least the most recent W-2 and preferably the two preceding years to demonstrate an earnings trend. If you are paid irregular commissions or bonuses, W-2s help quantify what you would likely have earned during the time you were out.
Submit four to six pay periods immediately before the wreck and each pay stub received after you returned to work. North Carolina courts view regular pay stubs as business-records exceptions to the hearsay rule under Rule 803(6), making them admissible without live testimony from a payroll officer.
If you receive 1099s instead of W-2s, assemble:
Because self-employed income can fluctuate, you may need a CPA’s affidavit or testimony to translate raw numbers into an average weekly loss. An accountant’s affidavit can be admitted as an expert summary under N.C. Rule of Evidence 1006 (Rule 1006).
North Carolina requires medical proof that your injuries prevented you from working. A doctor’s note should:
The note becomes self-authenticating when produced under a properly executed HIPAA authorization or subpoena, avoiding hearsay objections under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-58.1 (§ 8-58.1).
Although more private, the last two federal and state income-tax returns can corroborate your historic earnings and fend off arguments that your wages were lower than claimed.
Document any PTO you burned because of the accident. Under North Carolina law, using vacation days to offset wage loss still qualifies as economic damage; you lost a benefit you otherwise could have used in the future.
Gathering the right evidence now prevents stressful delays later and maximizes the value of your North Carolina lost-wage claim. Our personal-injury attorneys have years of experience proving economic damages and negotiating full settlements. Let us build a compelling wage-loss package for you—call 919-313-2737 today for a free consultation.