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Taxicab drivers have a duty to their passengers to take reasonable steps to make sure they get to their destination safely. This means following traffic laws, avoiding dangerous decisions behind the wheel, and avoiding unreasonable crashes. If you were injured in a crash and your taxi driver or another driver on the road was at fault, you could be entitled to sue for damages.
Most taxi companies carry high-dollar insurance policies that can cover your injuries after an accident, and filing a lawsuit against the taxi company may be one of the best ways to get them to use their insurance money to cover your injuries. Although Uber and Lyft might be more common today, traditional taxi companies are still responsible for their drivers’ actions and inactions behind the wheel, and you should talk to a lawyer about how to get compensation for your injuries.
The Queenan Law Firm’s Fort Worth taxi accident lawyers represent injured taxi accident victims and their families. We fight to help you recover compensation and hold the at-fault drivers and taxi companies liable. For a free consultation on your case, call us today at (817) 476-1797.
Suing a Taxi Company for a Taxi Crash in Fort Worth, TX
If you were a passenger in a taxi when a crash took place – or if you were hit by a taxicab while in another vehicle – you could be entitled to sue the taxi company alongside the individual taxi driver. In most car accident cases, the individual driver who was behind the wheel when the crash took place will be accountable for the injuries they cause. However, commercial vehicle accidents often allow victims to also sue the driver’s employer – in this case, the taxi company.
When the driver who caused your injuries was driving as part of their job, then their employer might be liable for the injuries their driver caused. Under a legal concept known as “respondeat superior,” employers are often held accountable for injuries their employees cause while working within the scope of their job duties. When taxi drivers are hired to transport riders, their whole job focuses on the job task of driving, so any mistakes or negligent actions behind the wheel could be the employer’s financial responsibility.
When you sue for taxi accidents, you will often sue both the driver and their employer under this legal concept. This can open up access to higher damages, since the insurance company often has 1.) better insurance and 2.) a higher ability to pay for damages than the individual taxicab driver might have.
In many cases, you can also sue the taxi company for their own mistakes (as opposed to the driver’s mistakes). This includes problems with the vehicle, such as negligent maintenance, as well as mistakes in their hiring or firing process, such as negligent retention of a driver they knew was dangerous on the road.
Taxi Crashes Caused by Other Drivers in Fort Worth
Just because a taxi is involved in the crash does not necessarily mean that the taxi driver was at fault. In many cases, you and the taxi driver could have both been victims of another driver. This kind of accident would typically allow you to sue the other driver for the crash, but not the taxi driver or the taxi company. Only drivers who did something wrong can be sued in a crash.
However, taxis still carry insurance that might cover your injuries in a crash as a passenger regardless of who was at fault.
Do Taxi Companies Carry Insurance for Crashes in Fort Worth?
Taxi drivers are required to have insurance, and taxi companies usually carry insurance that covers at least $1 million after a crash. This insurance might kick in even if another driver caused the crash, so long as you were riding in the taxi when the crash occurred. Talk to a Fort Worth taxi accident lawyer about when this policy kicks in for the specific insurance policy and taxi company policy involved in your case.
When insurance covers a taxi accident injury case, it is possible that the insurance company might try to underpay the claim. In many cases, they are up front about this and will tell you that they are covering only a percentage of the damages or that the damages they offer you are only for medical bills, not pain and suffering. However, a lawsuit might entitle you to these additional damages.
Talk to a lawyer about whether filing an insurance claim is sufficient in your case. If the insurance claim will not pay enough, you may need to take the taxi driver and the taxi company to court to get the full damages you are entitled to. In many cases, their insurance company will still be the one to pay these damages – and if not, the taxi company should have sufficient money to cover the injuries they caused you.
When to Call a Lawyer for a Taxi Accident in Fort Worth
If you were hurt in a taxi accident, call a lawyer as soon as possible. Taxi companies often have strong legal teams and insurance companies that will do everything in their power to shut down claims. It is important to have a Fort Worth taxi accident lawyer on your side to help collect evidence, build a strong case, and fight on your behalf for the compensation you deserve.
Call Our Fort Worth Taxi Accident Lawyers Today
For help with your taxi accident injury case, call The Queenan Law Firm’s Fort Worth taxi accident attorneys today. Our law firm represents victims in all sorts of auto accident cases and fights against even the biggest taxi companies to get our clients the compensation they deserve. Call us at (817) 476-1797 today.