Get Paid For Loss Of Income During Downtime
It’s a fact: A staggering 523,796 large truck accidents occurred in 2021 alone!* Most accidents are not the professional trucker’s fault.** The downtime of equipment costs owner operators millions of dollars every year. Truckers may not know their rights to collect downtime losses.
If you’re in an accident and not at fault, the financial losses you and your trucking business experience should be pursued from the bad driver and their insurance company.
Know Your Rights: After a not-at-fault accident in most states, you have the right to recover lost income for the days your equipment was down and unable to operate. Don’t delay. Get paid for your loss of income during your equipment’s downtime!
Since 1988, Attorney Kelsea Eckert & her team have been advocates for truckers, recovering funds lost due to accidents. In your time of need, here’s how we fight for you:
After Your Accident
Whether you were hit on the highway or in a parking lot, the physical damage to equipment can halt a load from being delivered and create a snowball effect of lost loads. Our staff works with you to help get you back on the road as quickly as possible.
Loss of Income
When your equipment is down after an accident, significant financial losses add up. Expenses accumulate while no income is generated. Our team understands the challenges you face and actively pursues your lost profits. We work diligently for you and your business.
Loss of Contract
Have you lost a lucrative hauling contract after an accident? We calculate lost contracts in our demands and pursue recovery of these sizable losses.
Deductible
If you filed a claim with your own insurance company, you may have a large deductible. We pursue the at-fault party for reimbursement of your deductible and any other accident related out-of-pocket expenses.
Totaled Equipment
Having your equipment totaled can be financially devastating. The pursuable amount of loss of use and lost income for a totaled vehicle varies by state. We work with you to calculate your true losses and pursue the at-fault party for payment.
Repaired Equipment
Significant repairs to a tractor or trailer may take weeks or months. Delays in the shop can cripple your small trucking business. We welcome calls to discuss how best to get a trucking business back on the road and keep it running.
Out of Pocket Expenses
Most accidents result in various out-of-pocket expenses including hotel bills and transportation costs while your equipment is in the shop. We work to recover all these losses.
Rental Trucks and Trailers
After a traffic accident, it may be necessary for you to rent a truck and trailer to continue hauling loads. You may need a rental car to get home. Keep all receipts in a safe place, as they will be needed for reimbursement.
Towing
If your equipment must be towed from an accident site, the cost can be significant. Towing companies may bill you directly for their services. We help hold the at-fault party accountable for your towing expenses.
Specialty Equipment
Many truckers cannot temporarily rent specialty equipment from their motor carrier or rental companies like Ryder or Penske. Difficult to find equipment includes: tractors with APU units, sleepers and headache racks, specially installed communication devices, specialty trailers, special pumps, hoses, car hauling equipment, etc. It is important to demonstrate the uniqueness of your equipment and we will work with you to do so.
Diminution of Value
Once your vehicle has been in an accident, its value may decrease. Our office pursues your equipment’s loss of value against the at-fault party through the assistance of valuation experts and other resources.
Negotiation
Opposing insurance companies are often unaware of how to properly calculate the lost profits of truckers like you. Our staff aims to educate and convince adverse adjusters of the large losses sustained by your equipment during the downtime.
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses add up quickly. Please contact our office as soon as possible regarding any bodily injuries that have occurred so we can discuss your case and your rights.
Litigation
Sometimes the at-fault party claims they aren’t responsible for the accident or they don’t agree to the amount of the loss. If this happens to you, we will work with our tried and true nationwide network of attorneys to find counsel to review your case. Once accepted, they will file suit and pursue the at-fault party through the court system towards judgment or resolution.
*Information found on Forbes.
*Information found on https://www.iihs.org/