Legal Responsibility in Taxi Accidents
April 5, 2021 in Motor Vehicle Accidents
In large cities such as New York City, taxi cabs play a prominent role in the day-to-day transportation of millions of commuters. With over 13,000 medallion taxi cabs in the city, it is inevitable that traffic accidents and the injuries that occur as a result of them will involve a taxi from time to time. Overall, a taxi involved in your accident does not change your ability to make a claim for your injuries, however, it could change the outcome of your claim. Here, the experienced auto accident and personal injury attorneys at Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C. overview who are liable for injuries when taxi cab accidents.
What to Do After the Accident
Regardless of who is involved, the first thing you should do after any car accident is write down the name and contact information of all those who were involved as well as all those who witnessed the crash. Documenting as many details as you can is extremely important and can have a significant impact on the outcome of a claim. It is also important to also take as many detailed photos as you can of the scene of the accident, the cars involved, accident debris, and any additional relevant information.
In the event of an accident, especially one that resulted in injury and/or involved a taxi cab, you should notify the police. An officer will be able to help facilitate the collection of information as well as documenting details in the form of a police report.
Taxi Accident Liability
Who is a Liable if a Taxi Hits Your Car?
Liability in this situation is more straightforward than you might think. If a taxi driver collides with your car or a car that you are a passenger in, it is viewed as a standard two-car accident. In which case, the claimant needs to be able to prove two things, liability and damages, similar to that of any two-car accident on the road. Proving liability is centered around figuring out who was the careless or negligent party in the accident while proving damages comes down to figuring out how much your injuries are worth in terms of monetary damage, physical damage and even mental damage. If you are able to prove that the taxi driver was the negligent party, you stand a good chance to win your case.
Who is Liable if You are Injured as a Taxi Passenger?
If you are involved in an accident as a passenger of a taxi cab, who is liable? The taxi driver or the other driver? Similar to the situation above, it comes down to liability and who acted negligently leading up to the accident. However, as the passenger of a taxi involved in an accident, you are in a stronger position and do not have to worry about proving liability. For the most part, any two-car accident results in at least one of the drivers being deemed negligent, so as a passenger, you can file a third-party claim against one or both drivers and let them worry about who was liable.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer from Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C.
While all auto accident and personal injury cases have a certain degree of complexity, a taxi cab accident claim proceeds similarly to any other type of car accident claim. Whether you are a driver of a car that is struck by a taxi or a passenger in a taxi that is injured as a result of the crash, the experienced New York auto accident attorneys at Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo P.C. are here to help you navigate your way through the process. If you have been involved in an accident and have sustained injuries, contact our office by calling 212-732-9000 or by filling out a form here.