Taxi Accident Lawyer

Common Causes of Taxi Crashes

You will have a hard time finding drivers who are more experienced than the ones who drive taxis around. They are on the road for several hours each day and know local neighborhoods like the back of their hand. Despite their impressive road experience, taxi drivers remain susceptible to being involved in car accidents. In some ways, they may even be more susceptible to crashes than other drivers.

What are the common causes of taxi accidents? Let’s go over them in this section of the article.

Distracted Driving

As we noted above, taxi drivers spend a lot of time on the road. Therefore, it is only natural for them to experience boredom from time to time.
The key is how they respond to that boredom. Turning on the radio for some music is a perfectly fine way to quell boredom. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing about using your smartphone while driving. Listening to music is conducive to multi-tasking, but using your smartphone requires your attention. The latter is a bigger distraction, and it is indeed capable of causing an accident.

Smartphones are not the only distractions that could endanger taxi drivers. Your attention is also diverted from the road if you are eating behind the wheel. Unruly passengers can be distracting as well. We cannot underestimate the dangers of distracted driving. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 18,614 crashes caused by distracted driving in Bexar County in 2021. Statewide, that number jumps to 93,560.

Watch your taxi driver closely and note how they behave behind the wheel. If they are frequently taking their eyes off the road, tell them to stop. Do not hesitate to cut your ride short if your taxi driver is not complying.

Intoxicated Driving

After having too many drinks at the local watering hole, staying far away from your car would be best. Do not even think about getting in there unless you have a designated driver. Instead of hopping in your car, you should look for a taxi to get you home. Taxi drivers have helped many of us get home safely from the bar on numerous occasions. But what if your driver is the one showing signs of intoxication?

We want to think that taxi drivers are not so reckless that they would drive drunk, but there are still a few bad apples out there. For example, following a long shift, a taxi driver may head to the bar to take a load off and still try to get back on the road while intoxicated.
Drunk taxi drivers pose a danger to others whether they are traveling alone or with a passenger. For example, back in 2021, 15,558 car accidents were caused by intoxicated drivers.

If you believe your taxi driver is drunk, ask them to pull over because continuing your trip at that point is too dangerous. You should also report them to law enforcement to stop them from endangering others. Call a taxi accident attorney if your drunk driver crashed and injured you in the process.

Speeding

Speeding is one of the common causes of car accidents. Reckless drivers who engage in this behavior to show off endanger themselves and everyone around them. Taxi drivers may also engage in speeding, but they likely are not doing so to show off. When taxi drivers engage in that behavior, they are probably doing it to earn more money. In an attempt to complete as many trips as possible, they may resort to speeding.

It is easy to empathize with a taxi driver trying to make a living, but speeding is inexcusable. There is no place on the road for that reckless behavior, and irresponsible drivers who engage in it should be held accountable.

Poor Vehicle Maintenance

Lastly, taxi crashes may also be poor vehicle maintenance. Taxis get worn down easily because of how often they are in use. If you ride taxis frequently, then you have likely been in one that has a malfunctioning door, torn furniture, or maybe a cracked window.

Those visible signs of damage annoy passengers, but they are not dangerous. The problems under the hood are greater causes for concern.
Taxi companies and their drivers must pour plenty of time and resources into proper maintenance. Their failure to do that would make the roads more dangerous for everyone.

How Is Liability in a Taxi Accident Determined?

Determining liability in a taxi accident is a fairly straightforward endeavor. Let’s approach the matter from two different perspectives. First, we will discuss it from the POV of a passenger and then approach it from the perspective of another driver.

If you received injuries in a taxi accident as a passenger, there is not much to worry about from a legal standpoint. You became hurt during the crash and know that either your taxi driver or the other motorist is responsible for what happened. Reach out to a car accident attorney and let them take over. Your personal injury attorney can investigate the case to determine which party is responsible. After collecting evidence and coordinating with the police, your attorney should have a good idea of what happened.

With all that information, you can move forward with a personal injury lawsuit. Hopefully, you can receive compensation not long after filing your case. Things get a bit more complicated if you are a motorist who was involved in an accident with a taxi driver. While it may be obvious to you that the taxi driver was the one who caused the accident, they may have a different take on the matter. They may make false claims to shift partial blame to you.

Since Texas is a modified comparative negligence state, your compensation may become reduced if you share partial blame for an accident. You can miss out on compensation entirely if you bear more than 50% of the blame for the crash. Work closely with a San Antonio car accident lawyer to prevent that from happening.

The Role Taxi Companies May Have in Causing an Accident

The investigation into your accident may reveal that poor maintenance played a huge role in everything that transpired. The company that owns the taxi may have failed to perform important maintenance tasks that could have prevented the crash.

In that case, you and your personal injury lawyer may need to pursue compensation from the company itself. Taxi companies like National Cab, Five Star Driver Networks, and Yellow Cab should answer any legal claims if they fail to maintain their vehicles properly. Likewise, limo services such as Elegant Limousine & Charter, SA Limo Connection, and Black Car Executive should be at the same standards.

Understanding Compensation

Individuals harmed in taxi accidents may suffer significant losses. The crash’s impact may break bones in your arms and legs. In addition, the smartphone in your pocket and the laptop in your bag may also sustain significant damage following the crash.

So, can you recover damages for all those losses you sustained? Recovering damages for those losses is indeed possible if you reach a settlement or win your lawsuit. Compensation awards in taxi accident cases are supposed to cover medical expenses and property damage. Your particular compensation award should also cover your lost wages if you had to miss work due to your injuries.

The taxi driver and/or company may also be obligated to offer additional compensation if the accident caused you emotional distress. For example, the entire experience may have made you fearful of using public transportation. Your taxi accident lawyer will ensure that you receive compensation for that unfortunate development.

What to Do After a Taxi Accident in San Antonio

Whether you are planning to pursue compensation from a fellow private citizen or a taxi operator, you will need to do certain things to give yourself the best odds of winning your case. We will highlight those crucial steps in this section of the article.

Check if You Are Injured – Regardless of what kind of auto accident you are involved in, your priority must always be your safety. Start checking yourself for injuries immediately following the crash. Do the same thing for any of your loved ones if they were traveling with you.
Confirm everyone’s condition before you proceed to the next step.

Call 911 – Now that you know the extent of everyone’s injuries, you can call 911 for assistance. Ask them to send an ambulance if anyone in the taxi is badly hurt and needs emergency care. You should still call 911 even if no one in the taxi received injuries following the crash. After all, you still need police at the scene to check on what happened.

Obtain Information from All the Drivers Involved – With police on the way to the scene, your next objective should be to collect important information from everyone involved in the accident. Begin by speaking to your taxi driver. Ask for their name, insurance information, and contact details. You should also take this opportunity to note the taxi company’s name, contact details, and the vehicle’s registration number.

If you can step out of the taxi, approach any other drivers involved in the accident and speak to them. Request their names, contact details, and insurance information in case you need them later.

Take Pictures and Videos at the Accident Site – Collecting evidence is a crucial part of building any case. That still holds true in taxi accident cases. Among the best pieces of evidence you can personally collect in taxi accident cases are photos and videos of the crash site. Why is it so important for you to take those photos and videos?

The photos and videos are important because they offer unbiased looks at the accident’s aftermath. They speak for themselves and do not hide anything about the incident. Furthermore, photos and videos are good for preserving the evidence. No matter how much time passes, they will still be useful.

Lastly, you can use the pieces of evidence to prove that you are not exaggerating your claims. For example, use photos and videos to document your injuries and note their progress. The taxi driver/company will have a hard time denying you compensation in the face of such overwhelming evidence.

Speak to Witnesses – Pictures and videos are not the only pieces of evidence you should work on collecting. While at the accident site, you should also speak to witnesses who saw what happened. Record their statements, then note their names and contact details in case you need their help later.

Talk to the Police – Speak to the police when they get to the scene and tell them what you can about the crash. After sharing your statement, you should get their names and contact details because you and your \ lawyer will need their accident report.

Consult with a Doctor – Many car accident victims make the mistake of not seeing a doctor soon after their crash.
Apart from being bad for your health, avoiding the doctor is also ill-advised because it could weaken your claim. Once that discovery comes to light, the other side may argue that your injuries were not that bad if you ignored them.

After your accident, go to the doctor as soon as possible so they can diagnose your injuries and begin treatment. When the time comes for you to pursue compensation, you can also use your medical records to bolster your claims.

Taxi Accident Law Firm in San Antonio

There is one more thing you need to do after your taxi accident, and it involves hiring legal representation. Contact us at Barrus Injury Lawyers so we can represent you in your taxi accident case. We will use our experience to gain the upper hand and eventually claim the compensation that is rightfully yours.