For those of you who happen to live in a major metropolitan area, you’re probably very familiar with utilizing taxi cab services. For those of you who travel to major metropolitan areas, you’re probably also familiar with them. Living in a city where the simple storage of a vehicle can be a hassle makes commercial cab services something of a luxury. Plus, it’s not a bad feeling when you realize someone else is driving you around town.
But do we ever stop to consider the possibilities of accidents that involve taxi cabs? After all, once you peel away the company logo and some of the fancy tech that cabs are generally equipped with these days, they’re just like any other vehicle on the road. And just like any other vehicle on the road, they’re being driven by just any other human being. So, what happens should you ever find yourself in an accident where you were a passenger in a taxi?
The first thing you do is to inform the police if no one has already done so and seek out any medical assistance nearby if needed. At its core, it was still an auto-related accident and you’re still likely to suffer some type of injury, however minor. After that, cooperate with any authorities who have reported to the scene. You are a first-hand witness, after all (unless you were perhaps sleeping in the taxi), and can probably provide one of the more accurate accounts of the events. Don’t proceed into assigning blame; just state the facts. The blame will sort itself out in court. You also have the advantage of being as neutral a party that is directly involved in a car accident as one could possibly be as the passenger in the vehicle. This means the burden of proving liability does not fall on you at all. Collect contact information for any witnesses and be sure to take pictures. You may not have been at fault in any way, but ensuring that the information gathered is accurate is still a responsibility.
Be sure to file claims with the insurance companies of all drivers involved unless any were non-negligent beyond a doubt. Even if the accident was the result of a no-fault situation, it would still be prudent of you to file a no-fault claim or personal injury protection for any medical bills you might accrue. Consult a car accident or personal injury attorney on how to proceed. Just because you weren’t driving and don’t have any reason to contest liability doesn’t mean that taxi cab accidents can’t become a serious affair from which you should be able to recover necessary compensation, especially if you end up becoming severely injured or suffer a long-term injury.
Even with a company logo slapped on the side of the car, the accidents are just the same. And the potential injuries are just the same as well.