A Victim’s Guide To Handling Cab Accidents

Car accidents usually involve collisions between two private vehicles. Identifying who’s at fault in these cases is relatively easy, but as you may know, car accidents can take many forms. But in the case of taxi cab accidents, there’s bound to be a lot of questions. Who’s liable for your injuries? Is it the driver of the other vehicle? Do you sue the taxi driver or the company? 

Regardless, you’ll always have the right to take legal action, given you’re legitimately the victim of said incident. This article will serve as your guide to handling a cab accident.
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Scenarios For Cab Accidents

Generally, cab accidents unfold in two different ways—either you’re a passenger who got caught up in the accident or you’re driving your vehicle and the taxi hit you.

The first scenario, in this case, is quite simple and easy to handle. If you’re simply a passenger, you only have to file a car insurance claim or an injury lawsuit. Since it’s indisputable that one or both of the drivers were at fault, they’ll sort out the liability by themselves, and you just have to wait.

Unfortunately, the second scenario is a bit more difficult to handle. Suppose your vehicle was hit by a taxi cab. Even if you’re the victim, you still need to prove your claim, which means you’d have to go through a time-consuming process. Sometimes, you may even end up hiring personal injury lawyers and going on trial in a civil court.

Generally, a good legal professional can help assess your case’s circumstances and provide valuable legal advice for filing an injury claim. They can also help you collect pieces of evidence to prove the other driver’s negligence and demonstrate the extent of damage you endured. Moreover, a good lawyer can protect your rights and interests by representing you in your insurance negotiations and all court proceedings if you decide to bring your case to trial. 

Don’t hesitate to work with a car accident lawyer to maximize your financial recovery and hold the at-fault party liable for what happened.  

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Handling Cab Accidents

Regardless, if you want to win your accident case, you need to prove the taxi cab driver was negligent in any way. Otherwise, you’ll not e compensated for your injuries and other related losses. 

But like other legal processes, proving negligence can be challenging and complicated if you’ve been in this situation for the first time. Fortunately, establishing the other party’s liability doesn’t have to be complex.  

1. Seek Medical Attention

Before anything else, it’s important to know taxi cabs aren’t so different from typical car accidents. Just like with any other collision, the first step is to immediately seek medical attention. Once emergency services arrive, make sure your injuries are treated.

Even if you don’t feel anything wrong after the accident, seeking medical care is still wise. In some cases, car accident injury symptoms become visible only after a few days or weeks from the collision. So, make sure to get yourself checked by the doctor to receive proper treatment and medication.  

Not only that but seeking immediate medical attention can benefit your injury claim. For instance, you can use your medical records as evidence to prove that your injuries resulted from the car accident caused by someone else’s negligence.  

For these reasons, you should see a doctor after a cab accident. Afterward, you can proceed to the next steps.

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2. Call The Police

You’re probably wondering why calling the police is the immediate response after a car accident, but there’s a specific reason for this. Responding officers are responsible for writing a report of what happened on the premises. They’ll include who they think was at fault for the incident, so this document will go a long way in proving your claim is valid.

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3. Exchange Information

Your next step is to exchange information with the taxi cab driver and if possible, the passenger as well since they most likely have a crucial piece of information. Examples of what you should ask for include contact details, full name, and address. This will also serve as a reminder you’ll be seeking compensation, so they should be ready.

4. Take Note Of The Incident

Once you’ve identified the person who’ll provide you with the compensation, you should start gathering details. One way to do this is by taking notes of the incident. The location, date, and time are some of the information that may prove to be useful for the case.

5. Talk To Potential Witnesses

If you’re done with the four previous steps, the next course of action is to look for witnesses possibly strengthening your claim. Consider talking to people in the vicinity of the incident since any one of them can be a witness. After doing so, make sure you get their contact information in case you need their statement further down the road.

6. Take Pictures Of Your Injuries

Lastly, after gathering everything that’ll be useful in proving your claim, you must make sure the settlement amount would be sufficient. Perhaps, the best way to maximize the amount is by taking pictures of your injuries and preparing medical records of your stay in the hospital. These will provide you with the reason to demand higher compensation.

Filing A Claim As A Taxi Cab Passenger

Up until now, the focus has been on the second scenario where your vehicle was hit by a taxi cab, but what typically happens once you file the claim as a taxi cab passenger?

In this case, you’ll also have to deal with a few problems on your own. For one, since you have to wait until the two drivers come to an agreement, who knows how long you’ll have to wait. The case may even get set in a civil court, so it’ll take a few more weeks before you get your compensation. Secondly, if both drivers don’t come to a definite agreement, you might have to settle for a lower amount than you originally excepted.

For instance, if you’re expecting USD$200,000 in compensation but one driver believes they didn’t make any mistake on their part, they may only agree to provide USD$50,000, and the other insurer wouldn’t want to provide the extra money.

Much like how these drivers are most likely to have legal counsel, it’s also advisable to hire a lawyer.
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Conclusion

Discussed here is a guide on what to do when you’re involved in a cab accident. Consider the ideas mentioned as you navigate your case and legally file for a claim.

About the Author:

Randy Williams is a car accident legal specialist. He provides online education about personal injury law through his blog articles. He is a safe driving advocate too. Randy loves outdoor activities during his free time such as hiking and mountain climbing.