How Average Weekly Wage (AWW) Impacts Your Workers’ Compensation Claim

Computing the average weekly wage (AWW) is essential for filing a successful workers’ compensation claim. The AWW determines the amount of money that an employee can receive in benefits following an injury. Generally, it’s computed by taking into account the base wages earned and other additions to your wages, such as mandatory overtime, production or performance bonuses, or wages from a second job. It is essential that you let your attorney know about all elements of your paycheck, beyond your base hourly rate.

Base Wages Earned

The base wages earned are determined by looking at the time period immediately before the work-related accident or injury occurred. This includes salary and other income such as tips and commissions received by the employee. For instance, if an employee earns $10 per hour on average and works 40 hours per week before they suffer their injury, then the base wages earned is $400 per week ($10 x 40).

Additions to your Wages Earned

In some cases, there may be additional income that should be taken into account when calculating the AWW. This includes mandatory or regular overtime pay, non-gratuitous bonuses, or any other additional wages received during this same period of time prior to the accident or injury occurring. For example, if you have an extra job on top of your full-time job and get paid for it, and your employer knows about it, then these additional wages should be included in computing your AWW.

Adjustments to the Average Weekly Wage

Under certain circumstances, such as when an employee was injured shortly after beginning a new job or had been unemployed for several weeks prior to their injury, adjustments may need to be made when calculating their average weekly wage. This is because these situations can affect how much money an employee would have been expected to make over the course of a 52-week period had they not suffered an injury or illness. For instance, you may have changed jobs or departments, or gone from a probationary employee to a full time unionized employee.  In these cases, experienced workers’ compensation attorneys can help you determine what adjustments need to be made in order to accurately compute your AWW and ensure that you receive the benefits you deserve.

Knowing how to calculate Average Weekly Wage (AWW) correctly is essential for filing a successful workers’ compensation claim. It’s calculated by taking into account base wages earned plus any additions such as overtime pay or bonuses received during this same period of time prior to suffering an accident or illness while on duty at work.

It’s important that anyone who has suffered an accident or illness on duty at work understand how their Average Weekly Wage affects their rights and responsibilities with regard to filing a workers’ compensation claim. With informed legal guidance from experienced professionals who understand state laws regarding worker’s comp claims, you can ensure that you receive all the benefits due you under the law and get back on track with your life sooner than later following a workplace incident. If you’ve been injured on the job, contact the attorneys at Saks, Robinson & Rittenberg, Ltd. for a consultation.