Taxi Cab Accident: Who’s Liable?
Getting into a car accident is challenging enough, but things can get a bit more complex when an accident involves a taxi cab.
As California is a major state that attracts many people from out of town, taxi cab accidents are quite common. Not only do we have a lot of cars already on the roads from local residents, but we also see a significant amount of traffic due to taxi cabs.
This means that it’s fairly common for everyday drivers to be involved in a taxi cab accident. And unfortunately, filing insurance claims and figuring out who is liable in these situations can be difficult.
At Sally Morin, we have years of experience handling a wide range of California car accident cases, including those involving a taxi cab accident.
For example, we helped a young married couple who were struck by a taxi cab driver while riding their scooter receive a $4.25 million settlement for their injuries and other damages.
If you, too, are involved in a taxi cab accident in California, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for help. We can evaluate your case and help you file your claim, ensuring you get the full and fair compensation you deserve.
Taxi Cab Accident Statistics
Taxi cab use is popular all across California, but especially in major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. And every year, hundreds of people are injured in taxi cab accidents.
Across the entire country, there are around 208,000 taxi drivers working each year.
In California, taxi cab accident statistics show a strong relationship between taxi cab drivers’ crash rate and their incomes. Drivers with higher incomes crash less, and taxi drivers with lower incomes tend to crash more often.
Taxi cab passengers suffer higher injury rates than passengers in other vehicles, which experts believe is linked to the presence of the partition in taxi cabs.
Taxi cab drivers are 20 times more likely to crash compared to other drivers because of their use of communication devices.
Newer and part-time taxi drivers have worse driving records and are 5.5 times more likely to commit a traffic violation compared to taxi drivers who drive full-time and have several years of experience.
Taxi drivers who own their cabs are more law-abiding drivers than those who lease their cabs.
How California’s Fault-Based Laws Will Affect a Taxi Cab Accident
California is a fault-based state. This means that if you are injured in an accident involving a taxi cab, you would file a claim against the party (or their insurance company) who is at fault.
However, at-fault states also award compensation based on degrees or percentages of fault. So if you are partially at fault, you can still file a claim against another party, but your settlement will be reduced based on your degree of fault.
For example, if you are determined to have contributed to a taxi cab accident by 10%, you can still file a claim against the other at-fault party, but your settlement will be reduced by 10%. So if you were initially awarded $100,000, you would only receive $90,000.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Taxi Cab Accident in California?
If you are injured in a taxi cab accident and need to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation, there are four potential options for who could be held liable and thus responsible for paying your claim.
Keep in mind that you could also be responsible for the accident, and if that is the case, you can file a claim with your own insurance for no-fault benefits if you have them, or you can still pursue a claim against another party as long as they also share some of the blame.
Potentially liable parties in a taxi cab accident include:
- The Taxi Cab Driver: If the taxi cab driver was at fault, whether you were a passenger in the cab or another car, you can file a claim against the taxi driver’s personal insurance policy.
- The Taxi Company: In California, taxi companies are required to carry liability coverage in case someone gets hurt in an accident where one of their drivers was at fault. Most taxi company policies cover up to $1 million in bodily injury and may carry uninsured motorist coverage as well.
If one of their drivers was at fault while actively on duty, you can likely pursue a claim against the taxi company’s insurance policy. However, some policies may not kick in until the taxi driver’s own personal coverage is exhausted.
- The Driver of Another Vehicle: In a taxi cab accident, another driver can be at fault. In that case, you would need to file a claim against that other driver and their insurance policy. If that driver does not have enough coverage, you may still be able to file a claim against the taxi company, but only if you were injured as a passenger in the taxi cab involved.
- A Third Party: It is also possible for a third party to be responsible for a taxi cab accident in California. For example, if there was an unsafe road condition that was not taken care of, the local municipality in charge of maintaining the roads could be held liable.
We Handle Your Accident Claim So You Can Focus On Your Life
If you are injured in a taxi cab accident, one of the steps you should take to ensure your rights are protected is to contact a local personal injury attorney.
Taxi cab accidents can get complex, and the taxi company may try to deny fault to avoid being held liable. Various other parties could be held responsible, which can make determining fault a challenge. But when you work with a lawyer, they can help you navigate your claim and ensure everything is properly handled, ensuring the right party is held accountable and you get the compensation you deserve.
At Sally Morin, we truly care about the people of California. Call us at 877-380-8852 or contact us online today about your taxi cab accident for a free case evaluation.
