How to Document Lost Income After a Car Accident in New Mexico

Sources checked: August 31, 2026. This page provides general information, not legal advice.

Build one dated work-and-income timeline

Start with a calendar. Mark the crash date, scheduled shifts, days missed, medical appointments, work restrictions, return-to-work dates, reduced hours, and changes in duties. Add the document that supports each entry: a schedule, pay stub, time record, invoice, email, or medical instruction. The calendar is an index. The original records remain the proof of what each entry means.

Do not wait for a perfect calculation before saving records. Pay periods close, schedules change, and business platforms update. Saving the original documents early gives you a better record of the work pattern before and after the crash.

Records for hourly and salaried employees

An hourly employee may have timecards, shift schedules, pay stubs, overtime records, leave balances, and messages about missed shifts. A salaried employee may need a different mix of records: paid leave used, reduced duties, missed commission opportunities, bonus information, or an employer note that identifies the change in work. Ask the employer for records that describe the job and pay structure, not a vague statement that you missed time.

• Recent pay stubs from before and after the crash.
• Timekeeping, schedules, approved leave, and overtime records.
• An employer contact who can confirm the position, rate of pay, dates missed, and any work limitation the employer received.
• Medical work restrictions kept next to the dates and pay records they relate to.

Self-employed, contract, and gig work needs a fuller record

Income for a business owner, contractor, or platform worker can change from week to week. Keep the records that show the ordinary pattern as well as the interruption: invoices, contracts, appointment calendars, work orders, deposits, platform statements, accounting reports, business bank records, and tax filings. The Internal Revenue Service notes that supporting business documents can include invoices, receipts, deposit records, and canceled checks or other proof of payment.

Preserve the original file and export platform records before an account view changes. A spreadsheet can help you organize dates, but it should point back to a source document instead of replacing one.

Keep medical and work records connected

A pay record shows a work pattern. A medical document can show an appointment, instruction, or restriction. Neither document should be treated as a complete answer by itself. Put the dates next to each other so a reviewer can see what changed and when. Do not add a medical conclusion to an employer document or ask an employer to describe a medical issue beyond what it knows.

New Mexico’s general damages instruction emphasizes evidence rather than speculation. That does not create an automatic result in a particular matter. It is a practical reason to preserve original documents and make the timeline easy to check.

Keep the originals and explain gaps

Some workers do not have one regular schedule or one steady source of income. If a gap exists, label it instead of filling it with a guess. Save the calendar, messages, canceled appointments, and business records that explain why the period looks different. An honest file that identifies a missing document is easier to review than a neat summary that cannot be traced.