You Have the Right to Recover Lost Income After an Accident

A car came speeding down the road, hit a curb, and flipped right into the lobby of Dr. Lauren’s dental office. Thankfully, no one was hurt — but the lobby was a mess.

After assessing the damage, the contractor estimated repairs would take about five weeks. During that time, the dental practice would be completely shut down. The doctor was devastated — no patients and no income. Who would pay the employees’ salaries and business expenses while her office was closed?

Fortunately, the at-fault driver had plenty of liability insurance. His insurance adjuster inspected the damage, accepted responsibility, and agreed to pay for the repairs. But Dr. Lauren asked an important question:

“What about my business’ lost income while it’s closed?”

To her relief, the adjuster confirmed that it would be covered too. “If the lost income was because of the accident, we’ll pay you for that loss.”

Five weeks later, the dental office was as good as new. The adjuster paid for both the repairs and the lost income during downtime. Her business was made whole.

Truckers Have the Same Rights as Brick-and-Mortar Businesses

While the dental office claim was straightforward, commercial trucking businesses often face a harder time getting fair treatment. Insurance adjusters may not see downtime for a damaged truck the same way they view lost income for a closed office — but legally, it’s the same.

Your truck is your business. When your rig is seriously damaged in an accident that you didn’t cause, your operations stop. You lose revenue but still have fixed expenses: truck payments, insurance, and other overhead costs.

You’ll hear many names for these losses, downtime, business interruption, consequential damages, lost income, loss of use, or out-of-pocket costs. Whatever the term, they all mean the same thing: your business lost money because someone else caused your truck to be out of service.

Why It’s Not “Just Like Renting Another Truck”

Insurance companies often assume a trucking business can easily rent another truck and resume operations right away. But trucking isn’t like renting a car. Finding a temporary replacement that matches your equipment specs, permits, DOT authority, and carrier contracts is rarely realistic and often impossible.

When your equipment is down, your business is down. You can’t generate income until your truck is repaired and back on the road.

You Deserve to Be Made Whole

Just like Dr. Lauren’s dental practice, trucking companies deserve full compensation — not only for repairs but also for lost income during downtime.

At Eckert & Associates, P.A., we help truckers and fleet owners recover what they’ve lost after an accident. If someone else’s negligence put your truck and your business out of service, you have the right to pursue compensation for your downtime losses.

Don’t let insurance companies treat your business like a car claim. Your truck is a business on wheels, and your income loss matters.

Need Help Recovering Your Downtime Losses?

If your truck was damaged in an accident that wasn’t your fault, and your business has been sidelined, we can help you recover lost income.

Call 1-800-DOWNTIME

Request a consultation at DowntimeClaims.com

Let our team fight to make your business whole again.