Taxi Accident Lawyer in NYC

Whether you are just visiting or live in one of the five boroughs year-round, traveling through the city that never sleeps is always exciting. Its nickname proves true by how many people are constantly on the road, day or night. Since many people do not find it convenient to own a car in the city, they rely on walking a few blocks to their destination or hailing a cab when they need to go further. Hailing a taxi is usually not too tough, either. 

There are just over 173,000 taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City alone, according to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission’s 2022 Annual Report. More specifically, 13,587 vehicles are registered taxicabs permitted to accept passenger street hails. When you factor in how many taxicabs along with how many regular civilian cars regularly travel the 300-square miles of NYC, it is not so surprising that accidents happen as often as they do.

Between the stop-and-go traffic to incidents that cause road rage amongst drivers, NYC taxi accidents are more common than you may think. Just this past November, the New York City Police Department reported 298 motor vehicle crashes involving taxis that month alone. If those numbers are consistent throughout the year, that makes up over 3,500 NYC taxi accidents annually. If you were injured in an accident as a passenger, then our NYC taxi accident lawyers at Varcadipane & Pinnisi, PC, are here to help.

Unsafe Driving Can Be to Blame for NYC Taxi Accidents

Getting into an accident is often a stressful experience—but it can be even more stressful when it feels like you have little-to-no control over the situation. As a passenger, you rely on a taxi driver to safely take you to your destination promptly. However, 1,338 non-passengers and 661 passengers reported taxis in NYC for unsafe driving in 2022. 

Most cab drivers depend on their income from driving to provide for themselves and their families. Since their income is largely based on how many rides they give per day, they likely will rush to get you from point A to point B so they can pick up someone else. Having this mindset while driving in a busy city with lots of traffic can easily lead to road rage or aggressive driving, which can cause serious accidents.

New York City Taxi Accidents Can Lead to Serious Injuries

The severity of injuries caused by a taxicab will vary greatly depending upon how fast the taxi was going, if the driver was distracted and tried to brake or not, if seatbelts were being worn, or if the person injured was a driver, passenger, or pedestrian. Thankfully, you can still seek compensation for your pain and suffering, no matter how minor your injuries were. Some of the most common types of injuries sustained in NYC taxi accidents are:

• Whiplash
• Broken bones
• Back injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Ligament damage
• Amputated limbs
• Dislocation
• Burns
• Paralysis

More than just one injury often occurs in a taxi accident. If you suffer any injury, seek medical attention as soon as possible. They may even require additional treatment, like physical therapy, surgery, or medication. Working with an experienced certified accident lawyer can help you fight for what you have lost because of your injuries. Call Varcadipane & Pinnisi, PC, today to review your case and fight for your right to compensation. You should not have to pay out of your own pocket for losses caused by a negligent party.

What to do after an NYC taxi accident

Things move quickly in the city, and you may feel like everything is a blur after a serious accident. But it is important to ensure you are taking the proper steps to ensure you are in good health and to help solidify your taxi accident lawsuit if you wish to pursue legal action. After an accident, remember to:

• Get the names and insurance info from drivers – If you were a taxicab passenger during the accident, you would want both drivers’ information. If you were driving and a taxi hit you, you would only need the other driver’s. This information will be especially helpful as you work with their insurance company to receive compensation for your injuries.
• File a police report – Without a police report, there is no solid evidence that the accident occurred. Law enforcement will come to document the damage, where it happened, and potentially determine who was at fault for the accident.
• Take pictures – While the police are on the scene, you can take pictures for your records of the damage done to your car, the other car, or injuries on yourself. It may also be helpful to document where exactly the accident occurred. The police will likely do the same while filling out their report, but it never hurts to have your copies.
• Seek immediate medical attention – You will want to have your injuries looked over by a professional doctor who will take notes on your injuries. They will also document what kind of treatment you need immediately and in the future. This will help you and your taxi accident lawyer know exactly how much your claim is worth.
• Keep every document – If you are pursuing legal action against the party at fault, you will want to keep every medical bill, a list of medications prescribed to you, and receipts you have from things you needed to buy due to the accident, like a cane, walker, or fixing damage to your vehicle.

Who is liable for NYC taxi accidents?

Accidents can happen in so many ways. For example, you could be driving your car when a taxi hits you, or you could ride as a passenger in a taxi when it is involved in a crash. Determining who is liable for a taxi accident can be difficult, but it usually dwindles to the source of the primary cause of the accident. Those who are liable for an NYC taxi accident may include:

• Taxi driver – If the person driving the taxicab drove recklessly or negligently, they may be found liable for an accident. This includes if anyone gets injured, like people in another car, passengers in their taxi, or pedestrians on the sidewalk. 
• Taxi company – If a cab driver works under a bigger organization, that organization may be responsible rather than the actual driver.
• The other party – Sometimes accidents are inevitable, even if you do all the right things. If the taxi driver follows all the rules of the roads and abides by the training they received, another car could still run a run light one day and hit the cab. That other car would be liable for the accident.
• Manufacturer – Again, sometimes accidents are not always the driver’s fault. If a car’s defect causes something like the brakes to fail as they are driving, the manufacturer of the car itself could be held liable for causing the accident.
• Government agencies – Traveling on poor road conditions that the driver was unaware of could cause a tire to blow out and steer the car into oncoming traffic. If the roads deteriorated that much, it is likely that the city, or whoever is responsible for maintaining roads, would have been aware of the issue and neither fixed it nor alerted the public.

Law enforcement may help determine who is liable at the scene, but other times it may need to be sorted out through the court system if there are disagreements or discrepancies. If the person who caused your injuries in an accident is not claiming to be liable, it may be in your best interest to contact an accident attorney as soon as possible.

Don’t accept the first settlement offer you receive

If you were involved in a York taxi accident and the other party was found to be at fault, remember never to accept the first settlement offer. The other party will always throw a low offer the first time to see if you are willing to end the case quickly. However, your case is likely worth more than that. Medical bills add up fast, and seeing the growing pile on your table may make you want to take that money, so it is all over with. If you contact an experienced NYC taxi accident lawyer like Varcadipane & Pinnisi, PC, we will help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

Contact a New York City Taxi Accident Lawyer

Do not fight a case against a negligent driver alone. If you were hurt in an NYC taxi accident, contact the Varcadipane & Pinnisi PC team. No matter how minor or serious your injuries are, we can help you collect medical records, conduct an investigation, communicate with insurance companies, prepare for trial, and negotiate a fair settlement for all of your pain and suffering. We have the resources and knowledge necessary to help recover compensation for your losses and damages. Reach out to one of our New York City taxi accident lawyers today, or schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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