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Documenting Missed Work After an Injury

32% personal injury contingency attorney fee · No upfront attorney fees.

Organize dates, pay records, and communications so an attorney can evaluate how an injury affected your work.

Published November 6, 2026

Create a dated work timeline

List your usual schedule and the dates or hours you missed after the incident. Distinguish a full missed shift from a shortened day, a medical appointment, or a change in duties. Record the reason accurately. A personal log is a useful starting point, but it should be supported by records wherever possible.

Save pay and attendance records

Keep available pay stubs from before and after the injury, time sheets, schedules, and attendance records. Retain information about overtime, commissions, or bonuses if those are relevant. Do not assume every difference in pay resulted from the injury; flag other changes so your attorney can evaluate them.

Track leave separately

Note whether you used sick leave, vacation, unpaid leave, or another benefit. Save related employer communications and benefit statements. Using paid leave and losing take-home pay are different circumstances; tell your attorney which occurred rather than combining them into one unexplained total.

If you work for yourself

Keep invoices, contracts, calendars, payment records, and business expense information. Identify work that was cancelled, postponed, or completed by someone else. Gross revenue and personal income are different measures. Your attorney may need additional financial records to assess a claimed loss; estimates should be identified as estimates and supported where possible.

Keep medical restrictions and workplace messages

Retain existing work-status notes and messages about modified duties or scheduling. Do not ask anyone to backdate a record or exaggerate a restriction. If the connection between the injury and missed work is unclear, discuss it candidly with your attorney. Ask how to provide medical and financial documents securely rather than sending them through a general website form.

Bring the records you have

You can seek advice while documents are still missing. Prepare a short list of outstanding items and any urgent correspondence. Documentation does not guarantee that a loss is recoverable; proof, causation, and the circumstances of the claim matter.

Further reading: California Courts personal injury guide.

Contact the firm for a consultation.

General information, not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship or extend a deadline. Each matter depends on its facts.

Fee-friendly personal injury representation

Looking for a personal injury lawyer near you in Los Angeles? Speak with Brian Masjedian about your accident, the insurance process, and the next step. Your initial consultation is free.

The personal injury contingency attorney fee is 32% of the gross recovery, before case costs are deducted. No upfront attorney fees. No attorney fee is charged without a recovery. Case costs are separate from attorney fees; the written agreement explains costs and deductions before you hire the firm. With no recovery, clients owe no attorney fee and no case costs.

What does the 32% contingency fee mean?

The personal injury contingency attorney fee is 32% of the gross recovery, before case costs are deducted. No upfront attorney fees. No attorney fee is charged without a recovery. Case costs are separate from attorney fees; the written agreement explains costs and deductions before you hire the firm. With no recovery, clients owe no attorney fee and no case costs.

Can I request a free personal injury consultation?

Yes. Share a brief account of the accident using the contact form or the firm’s published contact information. A consultation helps determine whether the firm can assist; sending an inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship.