Recovering Downtime Expenses
Following an Accident

Downtime expenses following an accident can be costly. Even minor damage can result in several days of shop time. Your options for recouping downtime expenses depend on the situation and your insurance coverage.

If you have Northland's Deluxe Coverage Endorsement, you have coverage for downtime expenses. This optional endorsement provides up to $100 per day, for a maximum of 30 days, after a six-day waiting period, to cover expenses resulting from downtime or the need to rent a replacement vehicle following a covered loss.  This coverage benefit is designed to help reduce typical out-of-pocket expenses associated with vehicle downtime after a physical damage loss. If you have this coverage, it will be listed on the Coverage Form Declarations Page of your policy. For more information about other money-saving Deluxe Coverage Endorsement features, talk to your insurance representative.

If you don't have downtime coverage, or your downtime expenses exceed your coverage, pursuing a downtime claim might be an option.  If you are involved in a loss that is deemed to be mostly your fault, attempts to pursue a downtime claim will probably not succeed.  However, if you are involved in a loss where another party is at fault, and there is evidence to support this (photographs, police report, witness statements, etc.), then a downtime claim might be a viable option for you.

When making a downtime claim, it is important to be realistic.  A downtime claim for lost income that does not factor in operating expenses will probably be rejected by the other party or its insurance company.  Before you make a downtime claim, first gather information that will help you substantiate your claim.  This includes documentation that shows gross revenue, fuel/scale/toll/permit expenses, driver wages, etc.  Use this information to calculate what you would have earned, minus expenses, per day that your truck was inoperable (see Downtime Claim Worksheet). 

Although Northland's Claim Department cannot legally pursue a downtime claim for you, our Customer Assist Program can help you by gathering pertinent information, such as facts of the loss, police report, witnesses, etc.  After an investigation is complete, we can facilitate contact with the other party and provide guidance on determining a realistic value for your downtime claim.