Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total documented wage loss
$13,680
Past lost income
$13,680
Future loss (present value)
$0
Reduced-hours loss
$2,880
Value of PTO used
$1,200
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How to use this
- 1Enter gross weekly pay ($).
- 2Enter full weeks missed (weeks).
- 3Enter weeks at reduced hours (weeks).
- 4Enter pay lost during reduced weeks (%).
- 5Enter sick / vacation hours used (hours).
- 6Enter hourly rate (for pto value) ($).
- 7Enter regular overtime lost ($/week).
- 8Enter future annual earnings gap ($/year).
- 9Enter years of future loss (years).
- 10Enter present-value discount rate (%).
- 11Read your total documented wage loss on the right — it updates as you type.
- 12Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Lost wages are the most winnable part of an injury claim because they are arithmetic rather than argument — but only if you document them the way an adjuster expects. This calculator builds the number in the three pieces claims professionals look for: past lost income from the date of injury to today, the value of used sick and vacation time (a real loss even though you were paid), and future diminished earning capacity where you return to work at reduced hours or a lower-paying role. It handles hourly and salaried pay, overtime you can prove was regularly available, lost benefits and employer retirement match, and applies a present-value discount to future loss because a settlement pays that money today. The output separates past from future loss because insurers treat them differently: past loss needs pay stubs and an employer letter, future loss usually needs a vocational or medical opinion to survive scrutiny.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Gross weekly pay: 1200 $
- Full weeks missed: 8 weeks
- Weeks at reduced hours: 6 weeks
- Pay lost during reduced weeks: 40 %
- Sick / vacation hours used: 40 hours
- Hourly rate (for PTO value): 30 $
- Regular overtime lost: 0 $/week
- Future annual earnings gap: 0 $/year
- Years of future loss: 0 years
- Present-value discount rate: 3 %
Results
- Total documented wage loss: $13,680
- Past lost income: $13,680
- Future loss (present value): $0
- Reduced-hours loss: $2,880
- Value of PTO used: $1,200
What each field means
Inputs
- Gross weekly pay ($)
- The gross weekly pay used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1200 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000 $.
- Full weeks missed (weeks)
- The full weeks missed used in the calculation, measured in weeks. Starts at 8 weeks so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–260 weeks.
- Weeks at reduced hours (weeks)
- The weeks at reduced hours used in the calculation, measured in weeks. Starts at 6 weeks so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–260 weeks.
- Pay lost during reduced weeks (%)
- The pay lost during reduced weeks used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 40 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Sick / vacation hours used (hours)
- The sick / vacation hours used used in the calculation, measured in hours. Starts at 40 hours so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–2000 hours.
- Hourly rate (for PTO value) ($)
- The hourly rate (for pto value) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 30 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500 $.
- Regular overtime lost ($/week)
- The regular overtime lost used in the calculation, measured in $/week. Starts at 0 $/week so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–5000 $/week.
- Future annual earnings gap ($/year)
- The future annual earnings gap used in the calculation, measured in $/year. Starts at 0 $/year so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500000 $/year.
- Years of future loss (years)
- The years of future loss used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 0 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 years.
- Present-value discount rate (%)
- The present-value discount rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 3 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–10 %.
Results
- Total documented wage loss
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Past lost income
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Future loss (present value)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Reduced-hours loss
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Value of PTO used
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Can I claim sick leave I was paid for?
Generally yes. Paid leave you were forced to spend recovering is a benefit you no longer have, and most adjusters will consider it with an employer letter confirming hours used and their value.
Is lost income claimed gross or net?
Practice varies. Many claims are presented gross with an employer verification letter, while some jurisdictions and insurers argue for after-tax figures. Present both if the difference is material.
How do I prove future earning loss?
Ordinarily with a treating physician's work restrictions plus a vocational expert or economist report. A self-calculated future figure without medical support rarely survives negotiation.
Am I self-employed out of luck?
No, but documentation is harder. Use prior-year tax returns, 1099s, cancelled contracts, and a comparison of billing in the affected period against the same period in prior years.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Lost Wages Claim Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/lost-wages-claim-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/lost-wages-claim-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lost Wages Claim Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Lost Wages Claim Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/lost-wages-claim-calculator) (2026).