Atlanta Taxi Accident Lawyers
When you hail one of the 1,500-plus taxis operating in Atlanta, you never know what you are going to get. It’s understandable to expect that you are grabbing a ride from a professional driver working for a well-managed company, but quality can vary greatly from driver to driver and from cab company to cab company. You might get a driver who is negligent or reckless or not very good at the job, or you could get in a cab that hasn’t been routinely inspected and maintained for safety.
If you get injured as a passenger in a taxi or another car hit by a negligent taxi driver, the Atlanta taxi accident lawyers at Shiver Hamilton Campbell can help you. Our experienced personal injury and wrongful death lawyers routinely take on negligent drivers, their employers and insurers, and recover significant settlements and jury verdicts to help accident victims get the compensation they need to deal with the medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages they have incurred in a crash with a negligent driver. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a metro Atlanta taxi accident, or if you are an attorney needing help with a complex taxi accident case, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell for immediate assistance.
Causes of Taxi Accidents in Atlanta
Despite the fact that they are driving for a living, taxi drivers are susceptible to all the negligent behaviors that get other drivers into trouble – texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving, drowsy driving, speeding or driving recklessly, and even drinking and driving. Additionally, precisely because they are driving for a living, taxi drivers have increased risk factors for getting into an accident. These include:
- Drowsy or fatigued driving – Taxi drivers spend all their time driving, which puts them especially at risk of driver fatigue and inattentional blindness. While some drivers might park and wait to collect a fare, such as at the airport, others engage in a practice known as deadheading. This is when cab drivers stay on the streets, driving around popular areas in hopes of picking up a fare. The more time they spend on the road, the more they put themselves at risk of getting into a crash.
- Speeding or reckless driving – Taxi drivers make their money by picking up as many fares as possible during their shift. This fact can lead some drivers to drive dangerously or recklessly to deliver their passengers to their destinations as soon as possible. Sometimes drivers are even pressured by their fares who are in a hurry to catch a flight, make an important business meeting, or catch a movie on time.
- Distracted driving – Experienced drivers know the city like the back of their hands, but Atlanta is a big place that seems to get bigger and busier and change all the time. Taxi drivers might get overly involved in relying on their navigation tools and forget to look up at the road at a critical moment. Drivers can also get distracted by their radio dispatch, which diverts their cognitive attention from the road.
Taxi drivers are also at risk of being hit by a negligent driver. Because of the large amount of time they spend on the road, they are statistically more likely to get into a crash that could injure them or their passengers.
Tips for Injured Taxi Passengers
Taxi passengers can get seriously hurt in taxi accidents; back seat passengers are less likely to be wearing a seat belt, and they can suffer severe injury hitting the partition that separates cab drivers and passengers. If you get hurt in an accident as a taxicab passenger, consider taking the following steps:
Make sure the tax driver stops, and call 911. You’ll want to get an accident report completed at the scene by the police. This is also an opportunity to take pictures of the scene, collect information from witnesses or the other driver, and get the cab driver’s info as well.
See a doctor. If seriously injured in the crash, accept First Aid that is offered, including a ride to the hospital if necessary. Otherwise, follow up with a doctor within a day or two of the accident. You might have injuries that aren’t immediately apparent and need to get checked out.
Call a lawyer. Who do you sue after a taxi accident? The cab driver? The cab company? The other driver? Taxi companies want to keep their insurance rates down and might push back against any claim you file. An experienced auto accident attorney will know the right steps to take to see that you are compensated by the responsible party.
Dedicated Help From An Atlanta Taxi Accident Lawyer
Transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft are required by Georgia law to insure their drivers up to a million dollars while they are carrying passengers. Limousine carriers in Georgia must have liability insurance to cover $300,000 for injuries per accident, or $500,000 if the limo carries more than 12 passengers. Taxis, on the other hand, only need to carry the Georgia minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. If you are seriously hurt in an Atlanta taxi accident, you aren’t just going up against another driver; you are dealing with an experienced company and a major insurer. Make sure you have an attorney on your side who knows the ropes and has a record of success helping accident victims get the compensation they need to deal with the harm done to them.
If you have been injured in a taxi accident in metro Atlanta, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal Atlanta car crash, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 for a free consultation. We take on cases involving the most serious catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, and we fight to secure significant compensation for our clients who were hurt because of another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
