If an injury after a Corpus Christi car or truck crash disrupts your work, start a dated record of what changed. A list of missed days is useful, but it is clearer when it connects scheduled hours, actual earnings and the records explaining the absence. You do not need to guess at a claim value to begin organizing those facts.
Record the work you actually missed
Use your calendar and employer’s records to identify each affected date. Separate a full missed shift, a shorter shift and time away for an appointment. Note the source of each entry, such as a schedule, timecard or attendance message. Label an estimate as an estimate until you can verify it.
A simple log can use these columns: date, scheduled hours, hours worked, reason for the difference, pay or leave used, and supporting document. Avoid counting the same hours twice when a timecard and a calendar entry describe the same absence.
Gather pay and attendance records
As a practical preparation checklist, save:
• Pay statements from before and after the crash, with their pay-period dates.
• Schedules, timecards and attendance records for the affected periods.
• Messages confirming an absence, reduced hours or a change in duties.
• Records showing sick leave, vacation or other paid leave used, kept separate from unpaid time.
• Any employer explanation of a difference between scheduled hours and the amount paid.
Ask payroll or human resources how to obtain an accurate attendance and earnings record. Keep the original documents. If you summarize them in a spreadsheet, preserve the source records so someone reviewing the summary can check each entry.
Keep medical documentation alongside the work timeline
Save existing work-status notes, restrictions and appointment records. Ask your treating professional to clarify a note you do not understand rather than interpreting it yourself. Keep the dates on medical records distinct from the dates of the missed shifts.
For self-employment or variable work, collect existing invoices, business records and communications about canceled or rescheduled jobs. Identify the specific work affected and any related expenses separately. A canceled booking, a delayed payment and a reduction in earnings should not automatically be recorded as the same thing.
Related guide: requesting medical records after a crash
Ask which coverage may apply
The Texas Department of Insurance explains that personal injury protection (PIP) can cover lost wages and other nonmedical costs. Its auto-insurance guide says Texas policies include PIP unless it is rejected in writing, and that PIP has coverage limits. Check the actual policy and ask the insurer to identify the coverage available for your circumstances.
TDI: auto-insurance coverages and limits
The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel distinguishes PIP from medical payments coverage: PIP includes lost-wage benefits, while Med-Pay does not pay lost wages. Do not assume those two coverage names mean the same thing.
OPIC: understanding PIP and Med-Pay
Ask the adjuster what documents are needed to evaluate an income-related request, how to submit them securely and whether anything remains missing. Keep the written answer with the claim number. These records help explain your situation; they do not guarantee payment or establish the amount of an individual claim.
Bring a clear summary to a consultation
Bring the work log, pay records, relevant medical notes and insurer correspondence. Mark missing records and unresolved questions. Our office offers consultations about car and truck accident injuries in Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend, including the work disruption you want to discuss.
Related guide: preparing for a car accident consultation
General information, not legal, medical or tax advice for an individual case. Available coverage and the treatment of income-related losses depend on the policy and circumstances.
Learn about car accident representation or truck accident representation. Contact Daniel for a free consultation.