Out of every 100,000 taxi accidents, statistics show us that over 14 people could lose their lives in these horrific accidents or due to assaults and other outside reasons. Many other people are injured in crashes caused by drivers who were not looking out for taxicabs or taxi drivers who did not utilize care on the roads or were not properly trained for the job. If you have been injured in a taxi accident, you might wonder what rights you have and who can be held liable. Our West Virginia personal injury attorneys want to ensure that you are being protected during this difficult time.
Who is Liable in Your Taxi Accident?
You hopped in a taxicab one evening, never expecting to become involved in an accident – but here you are, and now you wonder where you can turn. Unfortunately, taxicab accidents are not always as cut-and-dry as we would like to imagine. Multiple parties could be held liable for a taxicab accident, including the following:
Taxi Driver: In some taxicab accidents, the taxi driver themselves could be held liable for your accident. This is especially true in cases where the taxi driver is failing to abide by the rules of the road, such as through actions like failing to stop at stop signs, texting while driving, or cutting other drivers off. It is not unheard of that these accidents occur.
Taxi Company: Cab drivers sometimes work for larger companies who employ the drivers and watch over their moves on the job. The company could sometimes fall negligent under vicarious liability, which means that the company takes responsibility for the actions of their drivers.
Driver of the Other Vehicle: What happens if the driver of another passenger vehicle crashes into your taxi because they were behaving in a negligent way? You could have a claim against this party if it was not the fault of the taxi driver at all.
Auto Manufacturer: Various other aspects outside of drivers could cause an accident as well, such as defects, poor design, inadequate warnings, and more. You might instead have a product liability claim.
The Many Challenges in Taxi Accidents in West Virginia
One of the most significant challenges that you could expect to face in a West Virginia taxi accident is the fact that you might struggle to receive the compensation you deserve after one of these accidents, especially when companies tend to deny liability and many related issues could spring up. Up to the limits of a policy, an attorney cannot ask for more, which is why you might find yourself in a difficult situation if only a certain amount of your bills will be covered.
For instance, though every state is different, states still continue to require a minimum of injury coverage for a taxi cab driver between $250,000-500,000. If your taxicab driver acted negligently and you were injured, they might only be able to cover a small portion of your bills, especially if those injuries were serious.
How a West Virginia Car Accident Attorney Can Help
Suffering at the hands of a negligent party after an accident is something that nobody should have to endure, especially on their own. If you have suffered injuries at the hands of a negligent taxicab driver, you have many rights as you work toward your personal injury claim. Our attorneys at Katz, Kantor, Stonestreet & Buckner have handled many car accident cases in West Virginia in the past and are looking to help you receive full compensation for your losses at this time. We understand how difficult this must be for you and are here every step of the way. Please contact us for more information on how we can help at (304) 713-2014.