Taxi Accidents

With the region’s booming nightlife and tourist industry, South Florida residents and visitors often choose taxis as a preferred method of transportation. Unfortunately, sometimes drivers of taxis are not as careful with their passengers as they should be, or other motorists act negligently and crashes result. The injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon assist people in the Miami area who have been hurt in a taxi accident. We pursue compensation on behalf of individuals in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as throughout Florida. After helping you understand your legal options, we can guide you through any claims that may be appropriate.

Taxi drivers are required to be licensed and bonded as well as insured properly. Taxi cab companies are required to carry a minimum amount of insurance coverage pursuant to Florida law. These requirements include at least $125,000 in bodily injury insurance per person as well as $250,000 for each accident. As a result, if a taxi is at fault for an accident, an injured passenger may recover that amount individually from insurance companies, or it may be shared if there is more than one passenger involved. Sometimes, it is difficult for a person who is hurt in a taxi collision to receive the appropriate amount of compensation, given that many companies may fall short of insurance requirements or an insurance company may improperly deny coverage. Enlisting an experienced attorney on your side who can advocate for your rights is an important step in the process.

Many times, a taxi driver commits an error that is a contributing factor to an accident. Because of long hours on the road, or possibly inadequate background checks by their employers, drivers could be responsible for an accident in a variety of ways, including by:

• Driving while overly fatigued or exhausted;
• Engaging in aggressive driving practices;
• Being intoxicated;
• Speeding; or
• Poorly maintaining their vehicles.

If you have been hurt as a passenger in a taxi, either due to the driver’s actions or to the carelessness of another driver who struck your vehicle, you may file a claim against the responsible parties based on the legal theory of negligence. To succeed in this type of lawsuit, an injured person must prove that the defendant owed a duty of care to him or her, that the duty of care was breached, that the breach caused the accident in which he or she was hurt, and that quantifiable damages were incurred.

Drivers of all vehicles have a duty to others who could be affected by their conduct to act as a reasonable and prudent person would behave under similar circumstances. Examples of a breach include aggressive driving, distracted driving, and excessive speeding. If the victim can show that he or she would not have been hurt if the driver had taken the proper precautions, that driver may possibly be held liable. Victims may also pursue a claim against a driver’s employer if it is found that the driver was acting within the scope and course of the employment relationship when the accident occurred.

An injured individual who succeeds in a negligence claim can potentially recover damages for past and future medical bills, lost income or earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, and any other objective or subjective costs and losses that arose from the collision. A claim must be brought within the Florida statute of limitations, which sets a certain time window for filing a lawsuit after an accident, or the right to compensation likely will be barred.

Collisions involving taxis or other vehicles can lead to serious injuries, and sometimes even the death of a loved one. The accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon assist injured victims from Miami and the surrounding cities in seeking to hold all responsible parties liable for their actions. Call 877.499.4878 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.