What Happens if I’m in an Accident in a Taxi?

Traffic in the New York metropolitan area is always dense, so it’s no surprise that the number of accidents is typically higher than in most other U.S. cities. Taxis and other for-hire car services comprise a major portion of New York traffic. If you are injured in a taxi collision, either as a passenger or in another vehicle, understanding the liability of all parties is challenging. An experienced New York car accident lawyer at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. can help you prepare and file your personal injury claim. 

Taxi Accidents in New York City

It’s challenging to understand how pervasive accidents involving taxis are because New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) lumps together those numbers with those for limousines and livery cabs. TLC’s 2020 Factbook showed a decline in crashes involving TLC-licensed vehicles that resulted in an injury from an average of 883 per month in 2018 to 819 per month in 2019. In addition, the number of crashes that resulted in a serious injury or a fatality dropped from 40 in 2018 to 32 in 2019–implying that the number of fatalities alone increased from 16 in 2018 to 20 in 2019. Nevertheless, it remains a serious issue.

Taxi Insurance Requirements

People should be aware that insurance requirements in New York are higher for vehicles licensed by the TLC than for other vehicles not under their jurisdiction, such as gypsy cabs. New York State law requires owners of all motor vehicles to have third-party liability coverage of at least $25,000 for one person injured in an accident and $50,000 for all persons injured. In addition, the TLC, as one of its criteria to be licensed, requires owners to maintain liability coverage of no less than $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.

That could potentially mean a better chance of being fully compensated for an injury claim if your accident involved a taxi, limousine, or livery cab. You can be awarded damages for medical costs and lost wages resulting from physical injury and disability and for suffering related to emotional trauma.

Unlike drivers for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers are not contract workers but full-time employees. As a result, if you are injured in an accident involving a taxi–both the driver and the company could be liable for damages. A taxi accident lawyer at our firm can help you sort out the complex liability issues.

Contact us for a free consultation

The car accident lawyers at Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C. have been helping victims for over 50 years in New York and New Jersey. If you have been injured in an accident involving a taxi, we can guide you through the process of filing a personal injury claim and help you win the compensation you are entitled to. We serve New York and northern New Jersey metropolitan areas, Rockland County and Bergen County. For a free consultation, contact us at our offices.