What Happens if I’m Injured in an Accident with a Taxi?

If you’re new to town, you may be surprised at the number of taxis you encounter every day. It seems as if they’re all over the place, most notably downtown or at the airport. Many seem to be in far too much of a hurry, and people on foot have a good chance of landing in their crosshairs. Pedestrians are not the only ones at risk, however. When an accident does occur, taxi passengers and people riding in vehicles hit by a cab are just as likely to suffer injury. If you have found yourself in this situation, you do have legal rights. Your best option may consist of filing a lawsuit for compensatory damages. Here are some things you need to know: 1. Cab drivers are held to the same rules and regulations as other motorists. However, states have also set forth additional laws that apply strictly to taxi drivers and the companies for which they work. These businesses must not only maintain commercial liability and accident insurance but also perform thorough background checks of their drivers. 2. The law holds each taxicab business responsible for all injuries caused by one of its drivers in a company vehicle or on company time. This is true whether you were injured while riding in the cab itself, sitting in a different car, driving another vehicle, or struck while traveling on foot. If a taxicab driver should prove to have been even partially at fault, you are entitled to recover either full or partial damages from the taxi cab company. 3. If while a passenger in a taxi you suffer injury in an accident caused by another driver, the taxi company will not be held responsible. The fault in this case will lie with the other motorist. In this case, you will have to hope that this individual carries sufficient insurance. The law does not require taxi companies to maintain uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, so in this worst-case scenario, the taxi passenger will have to look to his own private or public insurance coverage. If you are injured as the passenger in a taxicab, your lawyer will need to determine the culpable party. It could be the cab driver, another motorist, or both. The fault could also lie with something else entirely such as poor lighting, bad signage, a pedestrian who caused the driver to swerve and so on.

Possible Damages in a Taxi Accident

In any accident involving a taxi, the amount of damages you can hope to collect will depend on the degree to which the cab driver should prove to have been responsible for causing the accident in which you suffered injury. Unless he or she was entirely blameless, you can hope to recover the cost of: – Your ambulance bills. – Your present and future medical expenses. – The cost of any needed occupational or physical therapy. – Lost wages. – Disfigurement. – Pain and suffering. – Emotional distress. – Funeral expenses and other costs.

Failure to Background-Check the Driver

The law requires all taxicab companies to thoroughly check the record of every driver it employs. Any driver who fails to meet the requirements has no legal right to carry passengers for hire. Among other things, the company’s drivers must: – Possess a current and valid driver’s license. – Have resided in the state for a minimum of 30 days. – Be certified as medically fit. – Be able to read and communicate in English. – Have passed a fingerprinting check. The driver must also be free of convictions for: – Felony sexual assault at any time. – A felony of another type within the past five years. – A DUI within the past three years. – Any action that could be considered harmful to the health, welfare and safety of the public.

Proving Your Case

If you have suffered injury in an accident involving a taxi, you will have to prove liability as well as damages. At Lloyd Baker Injury Attorneys, we go the extra mile in gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and doing whatever we must to ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. Don’t suffer in silence. Call Lloyd Baker Injury Attorneys today in Las Vegas, NV 702-444-2222 or in Phoenix, AZ 602-265-5555.