If you’re self-employed and injured in an accident, you still have the right to recover lost income — even if you don’t receive a traditional paycheck or W-2. But proving those losses takes a different approach. Instead of pay stubs or employer records, you’ll need to rely on business documents and financial history that show both what you were earning and how the accident disrupted your work.
What Kinds of Proof Can You Use?
The most reliable way to show your lost income is through your federal tax returns — ideally from the past two to three years. These returns provide a strong baseline of your average annual earnings and can help establish the value of your typical workload.
If you receive 1099 forms for freelance or contract work, those are also useful. Rideshare drivers, gig workers, and independent contractors often receive these forms from platforms like Uber, Lyft, Instacart, or Upwork. They help confirm that you’ve been earning self-employment income consistently.
In addition to tax forms, profit-and-loss statements or bookkeeping reports can illustrate your income in real time — especially if your injury occurred early in the year and tax documents alone don’t capture the full picture. For solo business owners, these records can show revenue, expenses, and how your bottom line changed after the accident.
Bank statements and invoices are also helpful, particularly if they show regular deposits from clients or customers. If your business has steady, recurring income, these documents can be used to demonstrate a clear pattern of lost earnings.
Finally, if you lost a contract, project, or client due to your injury, documentation like client agreements or email correspondence can support your claim. And if your accident happened during a peak earning season for your business — such as tax time for an accountant or summer for a landscaper — we can help highlight that seasonal impact as part of your case.
How We Help Build a Strong Claim
At The Illinois Hammer Injury Law Firm, we understand how important your livelihood is — and how difficult it can be to quantify business losses when you work for yourself. That’s why we work closely with financial professionals and forensic accountants to build a full, credible picture of what your income looked like before the accident and what was lost because of it.
We tailor our approach to your profession, whether you’re a consultant, contractor, artist, driver, or entrepreneur. You focus on healing — we’ll focus on proving the financial side of your case.
Let’s Make Sure Nothing Is Left on the Table
If you’re self-employed and worried about how to prove lost wages after an accident, don’t wait. Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll review your income history, help gather the right documentation, and fight to ensure your financial future doesn’t suffer because of someone else’s mistake.
