Despite being a popular mode of transportation, taxi accidents are unfortunately common in New York City, with hundreds of crashes involving cabs occurring every month. This leads to devastating injuries affecting the taxi passengers and bystanders on the road.
If you've been injured as a passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, or occupant of another vehicle in a collision with a taxi, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
After an unfortunate accident involving a taxi, you need skilled legal representation to stand up to the cab companies and their insurers. The attorneys at The Porter Law Group have extensive experience handling vehicular accident cases of all kinds in the State of New York. We know how to thoroughly investigate these collisions, gather evidence of negligence and liability, and build strong cases for maximum compensation on behalf of injured victims like you.
Call 833-PORTER9 or email us at info@porterlawteam.com for a free consultation with a knowledgeable New York taxi accident lawyer.
In 2022, about 4% of all car crashes in NYC involved taxis. That’s more than 3,800 crashes with over 11 taxi-related accidents per day. Taxis are still a popular mode of transportation, accounting for more than 100,000 daily trips. And so the risk of accidents is still very real, despite the City’s efforts in implementing Vision Zero back in 2014.
The biggest cause of vehicular accidents in NYC is distracted driving. In 2022, more than 28,000 accidents occurred because the driver was distracted on the road. Road congestion also makes accidents inevitable.
Furthermore, cab drivers are often in a hurry to pick up their next fare and may engage in reckless behaviors like:
And even if the taxi drivers are careful, other drivers may not be as prudent. This puts taxi passengers as well as pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of other vehicles at risk of serious injury if a crash occurs.
Taxi accidents can result in severe, debilitating injuries, especially if the cab is traveling at high speeds. Common injuries include:
If you’ve been injured in a taxi accident in NYC, you may be entitled to compensation for the following:
Seek an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you claim compensations for your taxi-related injuries. Taxi operators and drivers are required to carry a bigger amount of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance than your average driver.
The minimum for a private citizen’s PIP is $50,000, but taxi services need to secure an insurance policy worth up to $300,000. The maximum insurance payout for a single person injured will be $100,000 and $300,000 if multiple people are involved.
However, you may be entitled to more than just what the insurance company offers, depending on the case. If your injuries and losses were severe enough to go over the $100,000 insurance limit, you may be able to recover additional compensation from the taxi driver, the driver of the other vehicle who caused your injury, or even the cab company.
But all of this becomes complicated with multiple parties involved, relentless insurance companies, and the voluminous laws that govern vehicular accidents in NYC. This is why it is important to secure a good personal injury lawyer to take care of these matters for you.
Most NYC taxis are owned by a cab company. Taxi drivers either lease the cabs or get them on commission to operate them. But this doesn’t mean that you can immediately sue a cab company if you were involved in an accident with a yellow cab taxi in NYC.
New York is a ‘no-fault’ insurance state, which means that all drivers and taxi operators are required to carry insurance policies for accidents so that victims may immediately receive compensation. In case your expenses are greater than what the insurance policy is obliged to provide, however, you may be able to sue whoever was liable for the additional compensation necessary. But this becomes quite complicated, especially in New York.
If the taxi driver worked as an independent contractor, the doctrine of vicarious liability does not apply. This is a legal rule that dictates a person or company is accountable for actions committed by others or by their employees. In this case, it is the cab company. However there are taxi services that keep regular employees, so it is important to know which type of service you are using to determine liability.
For information on ridesharing and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft, click here.
If you or a loved one were involved in a serious crash involving a taxi in New York City, or anywhere in the State, contact the skilled attorneys at The Porter Law Group to discuss your rights and options. We offer free consultations, so there's no cost to get our advice.
Our New York taxi accident lawyers will handle everything, from investigating the crash and identifying all liable parties to negotiating with insurers and litigating in court if necessary. We value our reputation, and we are more than willing to put our skills and resources to use and help you and your loved ones move forward after a devastating wreck. Call 833-PORTER9 or email info@porterlawteam.com to get started now.
*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome
