Taxi Accident Lawyers Philadelphia, PA
Taxi Accident Lawyers Committed to Providing Exceptional Legal Representation to Clients in Philadelphia and Surrounding Areas
Taxis provide a valuable form of transportation in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities—on many days, over 1,000 officially licensed taxis are available in Philadelphia and allow passengers to travel safely and comfortably throughout the city. Although you expect that your taxi ride will proceed safely and uneventfully, taxi accidents occur more frequently than you might anticipate. Drivers of taxis are often incentivized to drive at excessive speeds or disobey traffic safety rules in order to get you to your destination more quickly, because their compensation is based on how many miles the travel during each ride—providing them with motivation to complete each ride as fast as possible in order to maximize their total compensation throughout the day.
At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, our award-winning team of taxi accident lawyers take these cases of negligence seriously. All taxi accidents create an inconvenience to the passenger, but when you are injured during your ride the consequences can be magnified exponentially. Call to schedule an appointment today if you have been injured in a taxi accident.
Filing a Lawsuit for Compensation in a Taxi Accident Case
Taxi accident cases can differ from cases involving car accidents because they often require negotiating with, or filing a lawsuit against, a large taxi corporation and that corporation’s team of defense attorneys and insurance adjusters. Although it may have been the taxi driver’s negligence that caused your accident, as that driver’s employer, the taxi corporation itself can often be held responsible for the negligent actions of its employees.
In addition to the driver’s desire to maximize his or her compensation, taxi accidents are commonly caused by:
- Driver fatigue: Taxi drivers may scour the roadways for passengers for extensive periods of time, and driving for 12-plus hours without rest often leads to fatigue, which increases the risk of accidents.
- Weather and road conditions: Taxi drivers may fail to account for icy or slippery roads, and cause an accident as a result.
- Distracted driving: Taxi drivers may become distracted by passenger conversations or others on the roadway trying to hail a cab. In many cases, taxi drivers are distracted by their phones or other technology, as long shifts in the taxi may incentivize dangerous multi-tasking.
- Poor maintenance: Taxis are on the roadways much more frequently than private vehicles, and, as a result, tend to require more frequent inspection and maintenance in order to ensure safe working conditions. Drivers or companies that neglect this maintenance can easily cause an accident.
- Negligent hiring: Taxi companies may fail to properly screen their drivers for poor driving records, leading to situations where a bad driver simply causes a taxi accident.
Taxi Accident Lawyers at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC Fight to Hold Negligent Taxi Drivers Responsible
Although all drivers have a duty to drive responsibly to protect the safety of others, because taxi drivers are compensated for their driving, they are held to an even higher standard of care than drivers of private vehicles. Unfortunately, taxi drivers are only required to carry insurance that covers:
- $15,000 per injured individual, and
- $30,000 for all individuals injured in the incident
In many cases, recovery from the taxi driver’s insurance policy will be insufficient to fully compensate you for your injuries. At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, our team of taxi accident lawyers will take steps to uncover every possible compensation source in your case by:
- Interviewing witnesses to establish liability for the accident
- Consulting with experts regarding the cause of the accident
- Locating and analyzing any surveillance or traffic footage of the accident
- Examining the hiring practices and safety record of the taxi company itself
- Determining whether the driver was properly licensed and certified as a taxi driver under Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission standards
Taxi drivers are legally required to undergo certain screening procedures in order to qualify to drive a taxi in Pennsylvania, and if the driver failed to obtain proper certifications, both the driver and the taxi company may be held responsible for this error.
Contact Our Offices to Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Philadelphia Taxi Accident Today
If you have sustained injuries in a taxi accident in Philadelphia or the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, our team of taxi accident lawyers at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, are here to take on the heavy lifting in your case. Call our offices today, or fill out this online form, to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss any questions that you have relating to your case or injuries. We have two office locations for your convenience, which are located at 200 South Broad Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19102 and 532 Marlton Pike West, 2nd Floor, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002.
Frequently Asked Questions About Taxi Accidents
In addition to proceeding against a negligent taxi company, you can also recover compensation from your own car insurance policy’s underinsured motorist coverage. This can be valuable if the taxi’s insurance coverage was insufficient to cover your expenses. In other more serious cases, our experienced taxi accident lawyers can help you explore alternative avenues to recovering additional compensation.
As is the case with any other motor vehicle accident, you should seek out medical care as soon as possible after the accident. Doing so can be crucial both to your successful recovery, and to preserving the evidence necessary to maximize the compensation award in your case. You should also take note of the driver’s information, which should be posted in the vehicle, including the taxi number, name of the taxi driver and any available license information. Call the police to make sure you file a formal accident report, and take pictures of the accident scene and any injuries with your smartphone if possible. It can also be helpful to gather the contact information of any witnesses to the accident so that we can collect their account of the accident at a later date.