Lost wages and earning capacity

Past earnings and future capacity

The statutory definition includes both wage loss and earning-capacity loss. A useful claim description separates the time already missed from an asserted future limitation. That distinction prevents an estimate of future work capacity from being presented as though it were an existing payroll entry.^[1]

Proof of a particular loss

Georgia defines special damages as losses that actually flow from the tortious act and requires proof before they can be recovered. An earnings claim therefore needs a connection between the injury and the claimed loss, rather than a wage figure standing alone. The general definition does not prescribe one document that proves every worker's situation.^[2]

Services beyond paid employment

SB 68's definition of economic damages also includes loss of services performed by an injured person, including domestic and other necessary services performed without compensation. Paid employment is not the only economic category in the text. Any claim still needs to identify the service lost and support the loss rather than assuming an amount from the injury label.^[1][2]

Related entries

• Medical expenses in a Georgia crash claim Georgia medical-expense damages after the 2025 changes, including insurance-payment evidence and letters of protection.
• Pain and suffering and noneconomic damages Georgia noneconomic damages and the 2025 restrictions on monetary arguments at trial.
• Insurance claims and settlement offers Insurance coverage routes and Georgia motor vehicle settlement offers, distinguished from lawsuit filing requirements.