Chicago Taxi Accident Lawyer

The Chicago taxi accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have helped thousands of clients recover multimillion settlements for their injuries. We’re here to help you too seek full and fair compensation after taxi accidents. 

The Unique Challenges of Chicago Taxi Accident Cases

Our Chicago car accident lawyers recognize that taxi accidents are much more complex than other types of car accidents, as there are different parties involved. 

Drivers, companies, and others can be involved in every case, which can complicate matters. For instance, the taxi company displayed on the yellow cab may not be held liable for compensation for the actions of drivers, as the drivers may not be employees.

Different federal and local laws impact taxis. Cab companies are common carriers in Chicago, and they have to meet stricter requirements than other types of transportation do. For instance, their taxis must have GPS trackers installed, which can be used against them in a hit-and-run. 

Taxi companies operating in Chicago must also have significantly more insurance coverage available to pay for those injured in a taxi. The current minimum liability insurance requirement in Chicago is $350,000 (compared to just $20,000 required by private motorists).

Types of Taxi Accident Victims We Work With

Not all taxicab accidents involve passengers and a negligent taxi cab driver. Our Chicago taxi accident lawyers provide legal representation for all types of victims of taxi crashes, including the following:

• Taxi passengers involved in accidents
• Other drivers involved in accidents with taxi cabs
• Pedestrians hit by a taxi
• Cyclists struck by a taxi

Common Causes of Taxi Accidents

There are many different causes of taxi cab accidents, such as the following:

• Reckless driving – Recklessness occurs when a taxi driver operates the taxi with a disregard for safety, which can include weaving in between other cars or driving through red lights. 
• Drunk driving – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal, no matter if they’re car accidents or taxi accidents.
• Distracted driving – Taxi drivers can be distracted by a wide range of activities that can cause an accident, including texting, eating, and using phone apps to navigate to a destination.
• Speeding – To get taxi passengers to their destinations faster, taxi drivers may speed and drive unsafely, causing a taxi accident.  
• Taxi driver fatigue – A taxi driver may work long hours beyond what is safe. This can lead to driver fatigue and reduce their alertness and response time on the road. 
• Poor weather – Some taxi cab accidents are caused by poor weather conditions that impair visibility. 
• Vehicle defects – Vehicle defects can cause a taxi accident, especially if a part fails during use.
• Poor vehicle maintenance – Sometimes a poorly maintained taxi cab can lead to a malfunction, which can cause an accident.

Common Taxi Accident Injuries

There are many different types of serious injuries caused by taxi accidents. These include the following:

• Bone fractures – Bone fractures take a long time to heal and likely require a cast to be set properly. The bone doesn’t break all the way though, but the stress of an accident can create cracks that severely weaken the bones. 
• Head injuries – Head injuries happen as passengers bounce around inside the car. Even with airbags on all sides, head injuries are likely to happen. Airbags reduce the damage but cannot fully mitigate the chance that you suffer severe injuries. 
• PTSD – PTSD is a mental condition where extreme stress and trauma can make it difficult to get back into a car. PTSD should be treated by a qualified mental health professional, as it can have a serious long-term impact on your life. 
• Whiplash – Whiplash is a neck injury whereby the head is pulled hard during an accident, damaging the soft tissue and muscles in your neck. Severe whiplash can require surgery to fix. 
• Burns – Burns can happen in a number of ways, including friction burns from seatbelts. Airbags are deployed at such high speed that they can cause burns as well. 
• Organ damage – Exposure to extreme pressure, including that from an impact or from a seatbelt’s restraint, can damage your organs. 
• Amputations – If damage to your limbs is severe enough, you may need to have a limb removed in order to protect the rest of your body. Removal is often necessary when parts of the car are crushing your limbs so badly that the damage will not heal. 
• Contusions – A serious impact can cause contusions or severe bruising. 
• Back injuries – During an accident, a lot of stress is placed on your back muscle and spine as it tries to keep you sitting upright. This stress can cause damage to the muscles or your spine, leading to a back injury. Spinal cord injuries can even lead to paralysis. 
• Crush injuries – Crush injuries happen when a car is compressed and parts of the car squeeze a part of your body. If the pressure continues for a long time, it can cause severe damage to the tissue in that part of the body. 
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) – Your brain can be damaged by being struck during an accident or from severe whiplash. A TBI can impact the rest of your life and limit your ability to work. 
• Lacerations –  Lacerations are common in taxi accidents, as glass from windows and debris from the accident can cut you. The severity of the laceration depends on how deep and large the cut is.

Why You Need a Taxi Accident Attorney for Your Case

Hiring a Chicago taxi accident lawyer can help you after you have been injured in a taxi accident. Dealing with the legal process can overwhelm victims, especially while dealing with the aftermath of a serious injury. Here’s how Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help your case.

Determining Eligibility for a Taxi Crash Lawsuit

During your free consultation, your Chicago taxi accident lawyer will look to see that your case meets specific criteria. Specifically, they’ll focus on establishing liability by demonstrating that the other party owed you a duty of care and that breaching this duty directly caused your damages.

Liability for Taxi Cab Accident Cases

Depending on the nature of your taxi cab accident, there are different liable parties that can be held responsible in your taxi accident case. Your lawyer will help you in determining liability against the other parties, including the following:

• Taxi drivers – A negligent taxi driver can be held liable in a personal injury claim for your injuries. 
• Taxi companies – A taxi company can be held responsible for injuries sustained in an accident involving a taxi it owns. Under Illinois law, common carriers, like taxi companies, owe a duty to passengers to provide them with the highest level of care. Anything less than this is considered negligence. 
• Other drivers – For taxi cab accidents caused by other drivers of passenger vehicles, you can still hold the at-fault driver liable for your medical bills and other losses.

Damages a Taxi Cab Accident Lawyer Can Help You Recover

An experienced personal injury attorney can help you in pursuing compensation for your losses, such as medical expenses, after a taxi accident. Depending on the specific circumstances of your accident and who is filing the claim, the types of damages that can be recovered will vary.

The Time Limit to Pursue Legal Action for a Taxi Accident Case

The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Illinois is two years from the date of injury. You will not be able to file a claim if you wait to file it outside of this window. By starting the process with your taxi car accident lawyer, you can ensure that you can file a lawsuit against the responsible parties to recover damages without running out of time.

Why Hire Our Chicago Taxi Accident Lawyers

Our personal injury firm works on a contingency fee basis. You do not need to pay anything upfront or out of pocket for our services. We understand that mounting medical treatment expenses and lost wages make it difficult financially, especially after a complicated incident like a taxicab accident. 

Evidence Collection to Support Your Taxi Cab Accident Case

Recovering compensation after a taxi accident requires gathering enough evidence to prove without a reasonable doubt that the other party was responsible for your injuries. This is where having an excellent law firm makes a big difference.

Your Chicago taxi accident lawyer will use their expertise to gather the evidence that you need for your case, including police reports, medical records, surveillance footage, and expert testimony. If needed, we will also work with accident reconstruction specialists to show how the accident occurred. 

Calculating Damages to Help You Recover Compensation

There is no go-to amount for settlements for taxi accidents. Even two similar cases may end up with different outcomes in terms of settlement size. But there are some factors that are known to have an impact on settlement amount: for instance, the more severe and devastating injuries you sustained, the higher the amount of compensation you can generally expect to receive.

Having a good taxi cab accident attorney on your side can also make a difference. The stronger your case and the more evidence that you have, the better the outcome. Your attorney can ensure that you have the strongest case possible. 

Insurance Company Negotiations

Insurance companies are known to offer lowball compensation amounts to accident victims to avoid a high payout. In fact, many accident victims do accept the unfair settlement offer that the insurance company first provides without realizing that they can seek out higher amounts of compensation through negotiations.

Taking Your Case to Trial

The majority of personal injury lawsuits are settled before trial, but some personal injury cases cannot be settled outside of court. If your case requires a court verdict, we will provide you with legal representation throughout the process. 

What to Do in the Immediate Aftermath of a Taxi Accident

If you are injured in an accident involving a taxi, here are some steps that you should take in the immediate hours and days after your accident:

• Call 9-1-1 – The police report from your taxi accident is important evidence in your future claims.
• Document the accident scene – Use your smartphone to document the accident, including your surroundings, injuries, and damage to the vehicle.
• Seek immediate medical attention – Even if you aren’t sure that you’ve been injured, go to the hospital. Some injuries require a medical professional to diagnose.
• File a claim through the appropriate insurance coverage – File a claim with insurance, but do not accept any compensation settlements from insurance adjusters.
• Schedule a free consultation with a Chicago taxi accident lawyer – Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation by filling out our contact form or calling toll-free at (888) 424-5757.