An injury that keeps you off the job — or changes what work you can do — has a dollar value Wyoming law lets you recover.
Lost Wages vs. Lost Earning Capacity
Lost wages are the income you've already missed while recovering. Lost earning capacity is the broader, often larger loss: the reduction in what you'll be able to earn over your career because of a lasting injury. Both are recoverable in Wyoming.
Proving Income Loss
Pay stubs, tax returns, and employer statements document wage loss. For the self-employed — common among Wyoming's ranchers, contractors, and energy workers — proving lost income takes more work, drawing on business records, contracts, and sometimes vocational and economic experts.
Wyoming's Workforce Realities
Physically demanding industries — oil and gas, ranching, construction, trucking — dominate Wyoming's economy. An injury that prevents heavy labor can end a career even if the worker could do a desk job, and earning-capacity analysis must account for that.
Putting It in the Claim
Economic experts project future earnings with and without the injury, adjusting for the victim's age, occupation, and the regional labor market. With no damage cap in Wyoming, a fully documented earning-capacity loss can be a substantial part of recovery.
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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Wyoming attorney.