What are common causes of taxi accidents?

Car Accident Lawyer

As the passenger of a taxi cab, you’re literally putting your life in the hands of the driver with the assumption that they are professional drivers who will not act negligently or carelessly. In return for paying them for their time and mileage, you are making the reasonable assumption that the ride will be more convenient and pleasant than taking a public bus. Though there are many advantages to hiring a taxi driver, and this is reflected in their popularity, there is a hidden danger. What is known to our taxi accident lawyer is that not all taxi cab drivers are equal, and as such, the collisions they may cause can result in passengers suffering serious or fatal injuries. If you or a family member was hurt while riding a taxi, contact our taxi accident lawyer for a free review of your case. Very likely, you or your loved one will be eligible to receive compensation from the taxi company, the taxi driver, another driver involved in the crash, or all of the above.

Here are some of the most common causes of taxi cab accidents that occur:

  •         The taxi cab driver was fatigued and as a result, made an error which resulted in the accident. Cab drivers only earn money when transporting passengers. This can make for a long workday as they drive around looking for fares or wait for dispatch to assign them a passenger. It can be exhausting for them. Additionally, on certain days or nights of the year (such as New Year’s Eve), they will have a steady and unceasing number of passengers. Because they want to maximize their revenue on these rare occasions, they may work 12 hours straight or longer. Fatigue can greatly reduce a person’s reaction time, making it impossible for them to think fast or react quickly. It can also cause them to fall asleep behind the wheel.
  •         The taxi cab driver was not properly trained or licensed to drive a cab. Drivers may have learned to drive in other countries that have different motor vehicle laws. If English is not their first language, they may have difficulty understanding signage that does not use universal sign language. Perhaps their commercial driving record was revoked because of moving violations but they are still on the road. Or, the training they received was inadequate. Any of these scenarios can result in running a stop sign or not yielding to other vehicles when required and thus causing an accident.  
  •         The taxi cab driver was distracted by something and not paying sufficient attention to their driving. Whether they were talking on the phone, texting, eating, or conversing with their passenger, unless they are fully focused on their driving and the actions of other drivers and pedestrians, they are at risk for causing an accident.

 If you were injured in an accident that involved a taxi driver, you may have legal recourse for obtaining compensation for your damages. Call an accident lawyer, like a car accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN from Ward & Ward Law Firm, to request a free case review.