What Lost Wage Benefits Cover

If you are hurt in a motor-vehicle accident in New York and your injuries prevent you from working, No-Fault (also called Personal Injury Protection, or PIP) can reimburse a portion of the wages you lose. This benefit exists so that an injured person is not forced to choose between recovering and paying the bills.

New York’s No-Fault law reimburses 80% of your lost earnings, up to $2,000 per month, for up to three years from the date of the accident. The percentage is based on your gross pay before the injury. Because of the monthly cap, someone earning a higher salary may receive less than a full 80% of their actual wages.

These payments are meant to bridge the gap while you heal and follow your treatment plan. Getting evaluated promptly after an accident supports both your recovery and an accurate medical record — and that record, built through No-Fault injury care, is what a wage claim relies on.

How It Fits Into the $50,000 Basic Coverage

Standard New York No-Fault provides $50,000 in total basic coverage per person, per accident. That single pool pays for more than one category of expense:

• Medical treatment — physician visits, physical therapy, pain management, diagnostic imaging, and related care
• Lost earnings — 80% of wages up to $2,000/month
• Other reasonable expenses — up to $25/day for costs like transportation to appointments

Because medical bills and wage reimbursement draw from the same $50,000, the two compete for the same dollars. Efficient, coordinated treatment helps stretch your coverage. At our Long Island offices we bill No-Fault directly and coordinate multiple specialties in one plan, so eligible visits typically carry no out-of-pocket cost for covered services and your benefit pool is used sensibly.

Some drivers purchase Additional PIP (APIP) or Optional Basic Economic Loss coverage that raises these limits. Check your own auto policy or ask your insurer what you carry.

Documentation You'll Need

Insurers require two kinds of proof before paying lost wages: medical documentation of your disability and verification of your earnings.

• Disability note from your treating provider — a written statement that your injury prevents you from working, and for what period. A determination like this is based on clinical evaluation, and ongoing, documented care helps support it.
• Employer wage verification — your No-Fault insurer provides a form (often the NF-6) for your employer to complete, confirming your pay rate and the time you missed.
• Pay records — recent pay stubs, or tax returns and 1099s if you are self-employed.

Our practice supplies the medical side — evaluations, treatment records, and disability documentation that insurers and attorneys commonly request. Following your provider’s recommended treatment plan supports your recovery, and your records reflect the care you actually receive; long, unexplained gaps can leave that record incomplete. We provide the ongoing documentation the No-Fault process requires.

Deadlines That Protect Your Benefits

New York No-Fault runs on strict timelines, and missing one can put both your medical and wage benefits at risk:

• File the No-Fault application (NF-2) within 30 days of the accident
• Submit medical bills within 45 days of treatment
• Submit other expenses, including wage claims, within 90 days

The 30-day filing window is the one people miss most often. Getting into care quickly starts the paper trail on time. Read our detailed explainer on the No-Fault 30-day deadline and our overview of how No-Fault insurance works in New York. If you were recently in a crash, our guide on what to do after a car accident in New York walks through the first steps.

Where a Doctor Helps and Where an Attorney Helps

It helps to know which questions belong to your medical team and which belong to a lawyer. As a medical practice, we handle the clinical and documentation side: diagnosing your injuries, coordinating car accident injury care across orthopedics, chiropractic, physical therapy, and pain management, and producing the disability records that support a wage claim.

Questions about disputes with your insurer, denied benefits, arbitration, or a related injury lawsuit are legal matters. For those, consider consulting a personal-injury attorney. We regularly provide the documentation attorneys and insurers request, and we can work alongside the lawyer you choose.

To start care — often with a same-day or next-day appointment at one of our Long Island offices — call (631) 560-8357. We’ll bill your No-Fault directly and get your injury documentation on track from day one.

Frequently asked questions

How much of my lost wages does No-Fault pay?

New York No-Fault pays 80% of your lost earnings, up to a maximum of $2,000 per month, for as long as your injury reasonably keeps you from working (generally up to three years from the date of the accident). The 80% is calculated on your gross earnings before the injury. Because there is a statutory cap, higher earners may not be reimbursed for their full 80%.

Do lost wage benefits count against my $50,000 No-Fault coverage?

Yes. Lost wage payments are paid out of the same $50,000 basic No-Fault (PIP) coverage that pays your medical bills. Every dollar of wage reimbursement reduces the pool available for treatment, and vice versa. This is one reason it helps to keep medical care efficient and coordinated. Some drivers carry optional additional PIP or APIP coverage that raises these limits.

What documents do I need to claim lost wages?

You generally need a disability note from your treating provider stating you cannot work and for how long, plus proof of earnings from your employer (a wage verification form, recent pay stubs, or tax records if self-employed). Our offices provide the medical disability documentation; your No-Fault insurer supplies the wage verification form for your employer to complete.

How soon do I have to act to protect my No-Fault benefits?

You must generally file the No-Fault application (form NF-2) within 30 days of the accident, and submit medical bills within 45 days and other expenses within 90 days. Missing these deadlines can jeopardize both your medical and wage benefits. See our guide on the No-Fault 30-day deadline and call us if you are unsure where you stand.

Can I get lost wage benefits if I am self-employed?

Potentially, yes, but the process differs. Instead of an employer wage form, self-employed claimants typically document lost income with tax returns, 1099s, profit-and-loss records, or invoices showing earnings before and after the injury. The medical side is the same: you still need a provider’s disability documentation. For questions about proving self-employment income to an insurer, an attorney can advise on your specific situation.