Introduction to Taxi Accident Compensation Claims
Taxi accident compensation claims exist because whenever you take a taxi journey you are placing your health and safety in the hands of the taxi driver and should you suffer an injury as a result of an accident such as a car crash, are injured when getting in or out of the cab, or even if you are knocked down in the street by a taxi cab, you could be entitled to claim taxi accident compensation.
While the vast majority of taxi journeys pass without incident, it is the taxi driver´s responsibility to ensure that the safety of his passengers is never in question and, if a taxi driver is responsible for an accident which causes an injury to his or her passengers, it should be possible to make a taxi accident compensation claim.
Taxi drivers may be the target of many a commuters’ ire at times but they are usually highly skilled drivers with considerable road experience. However long working hours, late nights and early starts can often lead to fatigue which, in turn, can make accidents more likely to happen.
Liability in a Taxi Accident Compensation Claim
When involved in a road traffic accident as a passenger in a taxi, liability for your injuries will depend on which party or parties were at fault for causing the collision. When travelling in a taxi cab which is involved in a road traffic accident, unless the taxi driver was deemed to have been negligent, it will be the driver of the vehicle the taxi was in collision with who will be liable to pay damages, and who will be the person against whom taxi accident compensation is claimed. Injuries sustained which are due to the negligence of the taxi driver will result in taxi accident compensation being claimed against the taxi driver, and not the taxi company for which he or she works.
Contributory Negligence and Taxi Accident Claims
No matter what type of taxi you take, it is the law in Ireland that seatbelts must be worn whether in the front or the back of the taxi. However if you have been injured in a taxi as a passenger, even though you may not have been wearing a seatbelt, you could still be entitled to claim taxi accident compensation. In these cases, since you will undoubtedly be deemed to have contributed to the severity of your injury by your own lack of care, how much compensation for a taxi accident you receive will be less than if you had buckled up.
Common Taxi Accident Compensation Claims
- Compensation for injuries sustained in collision
- A car crash involving a taxi
- Pedestrians injured by a taxi
- Injuries sustained when a taxi pulls away before passengers have fully disembarked
- Injuries sustained due to reckless driving by the taxi driver
What to Do When You Have Been Injured in a Taxi
If you have been injured in a taxi – and are able to do so without placing yourself at risk of further injury – you should try to obtain the private vehicle hire license number or badge number of the taxi driver, together with the registration number of the taxi. Any taxi accident compensation claim submitted to the Injuries Board Ireland will also have to include details of the taxi driver´s insurance company and his insurance policy number.
As with any road traffic accident, you should independently record the registration numbers of any other drivers involved in the accident, together with the names, addresses and the contact details of any witnesses to the event. Wait at the scene of the accident for the Garda to arrive and document any injuries sustained in the police report. If possible you should take photographs of any hazards which caused the accident, or make a sketch of the accident scene from memory at the earliest opportunity.
The main priority following a taxi accident is your health, so you should get any injuries professionally examined by a doctor even if they only seem minor. Internal injuries may have been sustained in the accident, and even minor injuries can deteriorate into a more serious condition. Furthermore, your doctor will need to complete Injuries Board Form B in order for the Injuries Board to calculate how much compensation for a taxi accident you are entitled to and complete their assessment.
Speak with a Specialist Taxi Accident Compensation Solicitor
Taxi accident compensation claims can be more complicated than other road traffic accident claims in Ireland because there are often two third parties involved; the driver of the taxi and the other party involved in a crash. It is possible that an accident was the fault of neither driver, and may be because of negligence of the local authority for poor road maintenance, or a pedestrian stepping out into the road. With complicated claims such as these – and for assistance with the submission of taxi accident compensation claims to the Injuries Board Ireland – it is advised that a taxi accident compensation solicitor is consulted.