How to Claim for Loss of Earnings After an Accident

Your vehicle is damaged in an accident. You can't work. Your earnings stop. But here's the good news: if the accident wasn't your fault, you can claim for every day you couldn't earn money.

What is Loss of Earnings?

Loss of earnings (also called "loss of profit" or "business loss") is compensation for income you lost because your vehicle was unavailable. It applies to:

• Self-employed drivers (Uber, Bolt, FreeNow, Ola) - Taxi drivers - Couriers and delivery drivers - Business owners whose company car was damaged - Anyone whose livelihood depends on having a vehicle

How Much Can You Claim?

The amount depends on: 1. Your average daily earnings 2. The number of days your vehicle was unavailable 3. Whether the accident was your fault

**Formula: Daily earnings × Days without vehicle = Loss of earnings claim**

#Example - You're an Uber driver earning £150/day average - Your car was off the road for 7 days - Claim: £150 × 7 = £1,050

That's £1,050 recovered from the at-fault party's insurer.

Non-Fault vs At-Fault

**Non-Fault Accident:** - You weren't at fault - The other driver's insurer pays - You recover 100% of loss of earnings

**At-Fault Accident:** - You caused the accident - Your own insurer handles the claim - Your policy must include business loss cover - You'll likely pay your excess

How to Prove Your Earnings

You'll need to provide evidence of your earnings:

• Uber/Bolt app statements (available in your driver account) - Bank statements showing deposits - Tax returns or accounts (for business owners) - Payslips (for employees) - Customer invoices (for freelancers)

Uber and Bolt make this easy-your in-app earnings summary shows daily/weekly/monthly averages.

Timeline for Recovery

From accident to payout:

1. **Day 1:** Report the accident to us 2. **Day 2-3:** We gather your evidence 3. **Day 4-5:** We submit to the at-fault insurer 4. **Day 15-30:** Insurer acknowledges claim 5. **Day 60-90:** Loss of earnings assessed and approved 6. **Day 90+:** Payment transferred to your bank

For non-fault claims with clear liability, this can move faster.

What We Handle

We take care of everything: - Gathering your earnings evidence - Calculating accurate loss of earnings - Submitting to the other party's insurer - Negotiating if they challenge the amount - Following up until payment is made

You just focus on getting back to work.

Key Takeaway

Don't accept a settlement without claiming for loss of earnings. If you were off the road, you lost money. That's quantifiable, recoverable, and something the at-fault party must compensate.

**Need help?** Call us anytime. We handle loss of earnings claims every week.