Understanding the Problem

In North Carolina, if you are trying to prove missed work and lost pay after an injury and your employer will not complete the standard lost-wages form, you may be asking: can you submit other documents (including a signed employer letter) to show what you missed and when should you send them?

Apply the Law

Under North Carolina law, “lost wages” are part of the financial harm (damages) you can seek when an injury keeps you from working or reduces your ability to earn during recovery. In most personal injury claims, there is no single required “magic form.” The goal is to provide clear, consistent proof of (1) what you normally earned, (2) what you actually earned during the affected period, and (3) that the time missed was connected to the injury (often shown through medical restrictions or work-status notes).

Most lost-wage disputes come down to documentation quality. Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys typically look for objective records (payroll and tax documents) and a clear timeline (dates missed, reason missed, and whether you used PTO, sick time, or unpaid leave). A signed employer letter can be useful, especially when it confirms dates and pay rate, but it usually works best as a supplement—not the only proof.

Key Requirements

• Proof of your baseline earnings: Documents that show what you typically made before the injury (hourly rate or salary, typical hours, overtime/bonuses if consistent).
• Proof of the time missed (dates): Records showing which workdays/shifts you did not work (or worked reduced hours) and whether the time was unpaid or paid through leave.
• Proof the missed time ties to the injury: Medical work notes, restrictions, or other records showing you were taken out of work or limited.
• Consistency across documents: Your letter, pay stubs, and time records should match on dates, rate of pay, and hours.
• Clarity on what is being claimed: Separate unpaid wage loss from PTO used, sick leave, short-term disability payments, or other wage-replacement benefits.

What the Statutes Say

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-22 (Notice of accident to employer) - In workers’ compensation cases, written notice timing can affect benefits; personal injury claims often still benefit from prompt documentation and reporting.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-30 (Partial incapacity) - In workers’ compensation, wage-loss concepts are tied to reduced earning capacity; similar documentation themes (before/after earnings) often matter in injury-related wage claims.

Note: Your question is about a lost-wages claim in an “ongoing matter.” The exact rules and required paperwork can differ depending on whether the claim is a third-party personal injury claim, a workers’ compensation claim, or both. Even when a statute does not mandate a specific form, strong documentation is still the practical key to getting wage loss accepted.

Analysis

Apply the Rule to the Facts: Here, you are working on documentation for a lost-wages claim but your employer is not completing the standard form. You can usually submit alternative records that prove your normal pay and the dates you missed, and you can use a signed employer letter to fill gaps—especially if it confirms your job title/position, pay rate, typical schedule, and the exact dates you were out. The sooner you provide a complete, consistent packet, the easier it is to evaluate and the less likely the claim stalls over “missing wage verification.”

Process & Timing

1. Who submits: You (or your attorney). Where: To the insurance adjuster/claims representative handling the bodily injury claim (or to the North Carolina Industrial Commission if it is a workers’ compensation wage-loss dispute). What: A wage-loss packet (pay stubs, time records, and medical work notes) plus a signed employer letter if the form is not available. When: Send it as soon as you have the first complete set for the initial missed period, then update it after each additional pay period if you continue missing work.
2. Follow-up: If the employer will not complete the form, ask for payroll/timekeeping printouts or HR verification on company letterhead. If you cannot get that, gather your own records (pay stubs, direct deposit records, schedules) and ask your medical provider for clear work-status notes that match the dates claimed.
3. Resolution step: The adjuster (or opposing side) typically compares your “before” earnings to your “during” earnings and checks the dates against medical restrictions. If anything conflicts, they may request clarification or additional documents before agreeing to include wage loss in settlement negotiations.

Exceptions & Pitfalls

• PTO and sick leave confusion: If you used paid leave, you may still have a loss (for example, you “spent” leave you otherwise would have kept), but you should document it clearly so it is not presented as unpaid wage loss.
• Medical notes that don’t match the dates: If your work note starts after the first missed day (or is vague), the insurer may dispute the earliest days missed. Ask the provider to correct or clarify work status when appropriate.
• Overtime/bonus claims without a pattern: If overtime or bonuses vary, you usually need a longer lookback (multiple pay stubs or year-to-date payroll) to show a consistent history.
• Self-employment/1099 income gaps: If you are paid as a contractor, insurers often want tax returns, 1099s, invoices, and business bank statements to separate revenue from profit and show what you actually lost.
• Employer letter missing key details: A letter that only says “they missed work” may not be enough. The most helpful letters include pay rate, typical hours, dates missed, whether time was unpaid vs. PTO, and the contact person’s name/title and signature.

If you want a practical checklist of “other documents” that often work when a wage form is unavailable, these are commonly used in North Carolina claims: recent pay stubs (several before and after the injury), W-2s or 1099s, year-to-date earnings summaries, timeclock reports, schedules, attendance records, direct deposit records, PTO/sick leave ledgers, and medical work-status notes. When available, a signed employer letter on letterhead that matches those records can be a strong substitute for a standard form.

Related reading on preserving evidence can also help you build a clean claim file: what evidence to gather after a fall.

Conclusion

Yes—if you missed work in North Carolina and your employer will not complete the standard lost-wages form, you can usually prove wage loss with other reliable records, and a signed employer letter can help when it confirms pay rate, typical hours, and exact dates missed. The key is consistency between payroll records and medical work restrictions. Next step: submit a wage-loss packet (pay stubs/time records plus medical work notes and any employer letter) to the claims handler as soon as you have it, then update it each pay period if more time is missed.