Taxi Accidents and Personal Injury Basics in Arizona
Everybody has to use taxi, Uber and Lyft services every now and then. They provide a lot of convenience and simplicity in terms of commuting. What happens, however, if a passenger gets injured in a taxi accident? Arizona statistics suggest that taxi accidents are on the rise. If you rely on such services or on ride-sharing companies often, you should be aware of your rights. If you ever get injured in a taxi, Uber or Lyft accident, it would be critically important to talk to a personal injury lawyer before doing anything else.
Accident Responsibility and Your Rights
The first thing that will need to happen after anyone gets injured in a taxi accident is determining the responsibility.
Some accidents could be caused by a taxi driver or the operator of another vehicle. In other instances, however, determining who holds the responsibility for the accident and for injuries will be more difficult.
In Arizona, it’s possible to hold more than one driver or traffic participant accountable for injuries. A claim can be brought against multiple parties and all of them will share the responsibility for the injuries a passenger sustained.
Whenever a taxi driver or the operator of a rideshare vehicle has been acting negligently, they can be sued for financial compensation. Alternatively, the cab company itself could be liable. Such liability may be sought in the case of poorly maintained vehicles that increase the risk of accidents.
Insurance Coverage
If you get injured, you’ll also need to find out whether the responsible party has an insurance policy that will provide potential coverage.
Whenever a passenger is injured and a Lyft or Uber driver is responsible, there will be insurance policies in place that will provide one million dollars in liability coverage. A passenger that can establish the guilt of the driver can make a claim under such an insurance policy.
Whenever an accident occurs while a driver isn’t on duty, they will have to make payments out of their personal insurance policy.
A similar process will take place whenever a taxi driver is at fault for the injuries that a passenger sustained. The attorney of the injured individual will typically negotiate directly with the insurance company that covers the taxi agency. It’s also possible to opt for a settlement because many insurance companies prefer to handle such issues out of court.
A Few Additional Considerations
When dealing with insurance companies, you will need thorough documentation. For optimal results, you will need evidence of the driver’s guilt and you’ll also have to establish the scope of the injuries.
Your Arizona personal injury attorney will give you a better idea about the documents and the receipts you’ll need to gather in the aftermath of sustaining injuries in a cab accident. It’s very important to see a medical professional as soon as possible and to have the injuries documented (even photographed). Receipts pertaining to the medical bill and other financial losses stemming from the injury will also be required.
Keep in mind that sometimes, cab companies, Uber and Lyft may try to distance themselves from drivers who get in taxi accidents between fares or while off duty. This behavior gained a lot of notoriety when a San Francisco Uber driver killed a girl. Uber tried to get out of the situation by saying that the driver hadn’t been working for them at the time the accident occurred. This is why you need a very skilled legal representative. Fighting a battle against a large company is never going to be easy and if you don’t have the right support in court, chances are that you may miss on the compensation that you’re entitled to.
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