If you live in the city in West Virginia, you might take a taxi cab to and from multiple places, such as from work to your home. If you utilize these services, it is imperative to understand that you have many rights as a passenger and that a taxi cab driver is always supposed to look out for your wellbeing on our roads. If you are the passenger in a taxi when it becomes involved in an accident and you believe that the driver is at fault, you might be able to file a claim for compensation for a wide variety of losses.
When You’ve Been Injured as the Passenger in a Taxi Accident
Taxi cabs are considered to be common carrier vehicles, which means that they take you to and from other places for a fee. This also means that they hold a specialized duty of care to protect you from all harm on our roads. A passenger who is injured in a taxi cab accident does not have as big of an issue in proving liability compared to somebody whose vehicle is struck by a taxi cab. It is impossible to have an accident without somebody being negligent. So, if you are able to show that your driver acted in a reckless fashion, you could be successful in your claim.
Steps to Take After Your Taxi Cab Accident
After an accident, there are many procedures that you must remember so that you can be successful in your future claim. First of all, it is imperative that you find out the names and contact information of anybody involved in your accident. You should also take out a camera or phone that you have on hand and snap some useful photographs of the accident scene as well as any injuries that you might have sustained before or after you receive medical attention for them.
It is also important that you collect a record of your accident by contacting the police, who will write up a police report that you will be able to use in the midst of your accident claim. The same rules that apply to car accidents also apply to those involving taxi cabs. You want to ensure that no details are missed so that you can file a claim against the particular taxi cab driver or company responsible for this accident.
Settling Passenger Claims: Issues You Might Run Into
Of course, not every case will be cut-and-dry as expected. There are two issues you might find in a passenger taxi cab accident: the insurer might dispute liability when two vehicles were involved, and multiple passenger claims might exhaust the insurance coverage that is available to you if it has to be split among many other passengers. Because of this, you must have an attorney on your side who is willing to help you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.
At Katz, Kantor, Stonestreet & Buckner, our experienced personal injury attorneys would like to stand by your side every step of the way as you work toward compensation after your accident. Our car accident attorneys understand how difficult it can be to face the aftermath of an accident and would like to show our support to you in your time of need. Please contact us at (304) 713-2014 for the help you deserve.