San Antonio Taxi Accident Lawyer
Taxis are a popular form of transportation in a city like San Antonio, especially at places like the San Antonio International, where travelers find it convenient to flag one down to get to where they need to go. Usually, taxis are right at the airport, and the traveler doesn’t have to wait for Lyft or Uber to get there. However, taxi drivers also get paid based on the number of miles they drive riders each day, providing an incentive to drive as rapidly as possible—and that also means taxi drivers are often in accidents.
George Salinas Injury Lawyers are proud to serve as advocates for our San Antonio neighbors injured in taxi accidents. Residents and visitors alike have a right to get to their destination without suffering serious injury; by holding negligent drivers accountable, our San Antonio car accident lawyers make our city safer, and ensure those who sustain harm through the bad acts of another receive the justice they deserve.
A San Antonio Taxi Accident Lawyer Can Help
In many cases, a passenger injured in a taxi accident does not know how to recover damages to pay for medical expenses. George Salinas Injury Lawyers helps taxi passengers recover compensation after a taxi accident. Whether you decide to try to settle or must proceed to litigation, our attorneys interview witnesses and review the necessary evidence to recommend the best way to proceed. Because recovering a settlement or suing a taxi company is often complicated, it is best to retain an attorney with experience in taxi accidents, and one who knows the ins-and-outs of the San Antonio court system. We also have helped people with their rideshare accidents like uber and lyft too. For more information about your case call today.
Causes of San Antonio Taxi Accidents
Taxi drivers get into accidents for many reasons, especially fatigue. They work long hours and try to get as many passengers transported as possible during a day. Often, the driver becomes focused on getting as many passengers transported as possible; thus, losing focus on safe driving.
Common causes of taxi accidents include:
- Fatigue and driving while tired;
- Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other illicit substances;
- Speeding, especially excessive speeding;
- Ignoring or not seeing traffic controls, including yield and stop signs and traffic lights;
- Not slowing or stopping for oncoming traffic during a left turn;
- Recklessly merging in and out of lanes in an attempt to get through traffic as soon as possible;
- Making illegal or, where legal, reckless U-turns;
- Distracted driving, including texting or otherwise using a cell phone or other form of communication;
- Aggressive driving in crowded areas, such as airports; and
- Inattention that causes the driver to rear-end another vehicle or a stationary object on the side of the road.
As with other cities, San Antonio taxi drivers often drive aggressively, especially those around the airport. We can help determine the cause of your taxi accident and help you determine the best way to proceed in recovering damages.
Who Can You Hold Liable in a Taxi Accident?
Unlike Uber or Lyft drivers, who are independent contractors, taxi drivers may work for a company as employees. San Antonio taxicab regulations hold the taxi companies and drivers alike responsible for complying with the regulations for taxi drivers.
In some cases, the taxi company could be liable for the accident if the company knowingly hires a driver with a poor driving record or a driver who uses illicit substances, especially if that driver has a DUI on his or her record. The company could also share in the responsibility when a taxi driver violates taxi regulations. Part of a San Antonio taxi accident attorney’s investigation is investigating the taxi company in addition to the driver, and other potential causes of the accident.
Recoverable Damages in a Taxi Accident
Texas allows for three types of damages: Economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages. The court orders economic damages and non-economic damages in an attempt to make the plaintiff whole again. While the money does not bring back a lost loved one or take away your pain and suffering from injuries, it does reduce the financial stress the accident causes.
Texas statutes also allow punitive damages in certain cases. Because the court awards punitive damages as a punishment for the defendant to deter wrongful conduct, the court usually reserves such award for circumstances where the defendant’s actions are determined grossly negligent or intentional.
4 Common Economic Damages
Following an accident, expenses for medical care are among some of the most pressing. Beyond medical bills, however, economic damages cover anything that you would have to pay out-of-pocket for.
They include:
1. Past and future medical expenses, including hospital bills, doctors’ bills, expenses for cognitive, physical, and psychological therapies, and medical aids.
2. Past and future lost wages, including partial future lost wages, if you can no longer do the same work you did before the accident, and the new job pays less.
3. Replacement or repair of destroyed or damaged personal property.
4. Funeral, burial, and cremation expenses in the occurrence of a wrongful death.
9 Non-Economic Damages
In most cases, to collect non-economic damages, your injuries must result in long-term or permanent disabilities or the loss of a loved one.
Non-economic damages often include:
- Pain and suffering;
- Emotional distress;
- Loss of consortium;
- Loss of companionship;
- Loss of use of a body part;
- Loss of use of a bodily function;
- Disfigurement, including excessive scarring;
- Amputation; and
- Inconvenience.
Psychological issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety are often the result of seeing or being involved in a serious accident. These are often long-term issues that require months or years of therapy. While each insurance company has its own rules regarding long-term disabilities, the Social Security Administration defines long-term disabilities as those expected to last for at least 12 months, or that result in death.
San Antonio Taxi Accident FAQ
Taxis are convenient since they are all over San Antonio and you usually don’t have to wait for one as you would with rideshare companies. A taxi driver usually gets paid by the number of miles they drive each day, which means that they are prone to speeding—and that leads to accidents. You could suffer injuries in a taxi accident even if you are not a passenger, but are a driver or passenger in another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a bicyclist.
If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a taxicab accident, contact the George Salinas Injury Lawyers for a free case review.
In general, no. An insurance company will try to pay you the least amount possible, which means that the initial settlement might not cover all of your medical expenses and will almost definitely not cover other damages that you might otherwise collect.
If you are working with an attorney and the taxi driver or taxi company’s insurance offers you a settlement, discuss the settlement with your attorney before accepting.
Having an attorney assist you in your taxi accident case provides many benefits. Taxicab companies have excellent claims departments and will often send an investigator to the accident scene before the police investigators get there. Because they are not an impartial party, you are at a distinct disadvantage. This is good for the taxi company but not so good for a taxicab driver, passenger, or third party involved in the accident. Having an experienced attorney on your side can help level the playing field.
You can sue whoever is at fault for the accident. Those who might share liability or be fully liable for your injuries include:
- The taxi driver;
- The taxi company;
- The government agency responsible for road maintenance, if poor road conditions caused the taxi driver to wreck;
- The company responsible for repairing or maintaining the cab, if different from the driver or taxi company; and/or
- A third party who caused the taxi to crash into you.
Yes, if another driver was at fault in the accident, you can sue whoever caused the wreck.
It depends on who was at fault for the accident. It could be the taxicab or the other driver, or both. If the taxi driver was at fault, in some circumstances, you can also sue the taxi company.
You can sue the person or company who was at fault for the accident, including the taxicab driver, the taxi company, a government entity responsible for road maintenance, a third party who ran into the taxi, or anyone else who has or shares in liability for the accident.
Once you let the taxi driver know you accept a ride and the driver accepts you as a customer, the taxi driver’s duty to ensure you receive the utmost care starts. That duty doesn’t end until you leave the cab in a safe place, out of the way of traffic. The key is whether the cab exposed you to the risks of its operation.
In some cases, it is beneficial to retain expert witnesses. Your attorney may retain expert witnesses on your behalf to help you get the compensation you deserve.
In most cases, you have two years to file a lawsuit against a taxi driver or taxi company following an accident. Because many things must happen before the lawsuit, including possible settlement negotiations, you should contact a taxi accident lawyer as soon as possible. And the sooner you start your claim, whether you intend to settle or file a lawsuit, the more you will remember about the accident.
The damages you can recover will depend on your injuries, whether you lost a loved one in a taxicab accident, and, to some extent, the defendant’s behavior.
Recoverable damages may include:
- Past and future medical expenses;
- Past and future cognitive, psychological, and/or physical therapy expenses;
- Past and future lost wages;
- Replacement or repair of personal property destroyed or damaged in the accident;
- Funeral, burial, and/or cremation expenses;
- Pain and suffering, including emotional distress;
- Loss of enjoyment of life;
- Loss of consortium and/or companionship;
- Loss of use of a body part or bodily function;
- Amputation;
- Disfigurement;
- Inconvenience if you have to hire someone to do chores you would usually do; and
- In certain cases, punitive damages.
Contact a San Antonio Taxicab Accident Attorney
Determining who is responsible for your damages in a taxicab accident could prove difficult unless you properly investigate the accident. An experienced San Antonio taxicab accident lawyer at the George Salinas Injury Lawyers can help you determine who is liable for your accident.
Contact Our San Antonio Taxi Accident Lawyers
When you are involved in an accident with a taxi, whether you are a passenger or when a taxicab hits your vehicle in an accident, determining who is responsible for paying your damages could be difficult without properly investigating the accident. Our experienced San Antonio car accident attorneys fight passionately to ensure that our clients receive the most compensation possible for injuries suffered through no fault of their own.
To speak with a dedicated San Antonio taxi accident attorney, contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers or call us at 210-225-0909 for a free consultation.
Client Testimonial
“I must say my overall experience with George was great. No matter what issues I had he went above and beyond for our family..It’s hard to find a lawyer you trust but I’m going to say he has definitely changed my mind .I will always be grateful for his representation and his compassion for our case. Please don’t hesitate to have him by your side. His paralegal is very involved as well..Keep up the good work.”
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Patricia M.
November 2019
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