California Taxi Cab Drivers Can Be Dangerous:
Taxicab drivers in San Diego have been known to be aggressive in their driving tactics, and as a result, we see frequent vehicle accidents in San Diego County that involve cab drivers. This is true throughout California, including larger cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Riverside. Sometimes, the taxicab driver can be negligent in an accident by
speeding, failing to yield, or not properly following street signs. Or the cab itself could have bad maintenance issues like bad tires, brakes, or transmission problems - this could be due to negligent repair shops, too. Still, a good taxicab accident attorney should always explore all avenues of cause as to why any accident happens. Sometimes, these cab drivers are at fault for being on drugs or amphetamines, so you have to be careful out there. If you or someone you know was struck or hit by a California taxi cab driver or you were an injured passenger inside of a taxi cab, you will need to call an injury lawyer who has experienced these types of accidents. I have been handling these types of cases in California since 1999. Please read on to find out why I may be a good choice for your taxi cab injury case.
California State Taxi Cab Regulations:
Under California law, there are no special licenses for those who drive taxicabs, yet local jurisdictions throughout California may set what they believe to be their safe requirements and regulations. For example, in San Diego County, the Metropolitan Transit System has a department called the "Taxicab Administration," which has contractual agreements to license and regulate taxicab, jitney, charter, sightseeing, low-speed vehicles, and non-emergency medical vehicles within certain cities in San Diego County. These cities include Imperial Beach, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Poway, San Diego, and Santee. Responsibilities of these taxicab regulations include taxi vehicle inspections, issuing permits, determining the owner of the cab eligibility, overseeing compliance with operational and administrative rules, and investigating and following up with passenger taxi cab complaints. Currently, San Diego maintains approximately 1,100 taxi cabs with over 500 owners. So, depending on the facts of any injury, an accident involving a taxi cab may involve whether or not regulations were breached by or under the MTS in addition to the at-fault taxi-cab driver. A good California taxi cab injury attorney will know how to best navigate this potential legal issue with your particular injury case.Southern California Taxicab Accident & Injuries:
As you can see from the reading above, thousands of taxicabs, shuttles, and limos are running throughout Southern California at any one time. Unfortunately, the accident rate for these common public carriers is relatively high. The following is a list of some of the more serious injuries resulting from taxicab car accidents:1. Fractured Bones (Hard Tissue Injuries)
2. Disfiguring injuries
3. Dismemberment injuries
4. Ligament injuries or other Soft Tissue Injuries
5. Internal Injuries
6. Skull or head fractures
7. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
8. Neck, back, spinal cord injuries
9. Vehicle burn injuries
10. Paralysis
Some Important Tips for Your California Taxicab Ride:
You can do certain things to ensure you are in a licensed Taxi - if you are in San Diego County, you can look for the MTS inspection permit or ask the cab driver if he is regulated and have them show you the permit. If you are in Los Angeles, you can look for a taxicab with the official Seal of Los Angeles on it. In most cities, you will find "bandit taxicabs" with no legal authority to operate, so you should always be watchful when hailing a cab in California. These unregulated taxicabs may not have insurance, but the regulated ones have to have auto insurance, and they are inspected by the city or some other governmental agency like the MTS here in San Diego. Also, regulated taxicabs have been reviewed by vehicle safety teams, and yes, just because you are in a properly regulated cab does not make you 100% immune to accidents. However, you can trust that you are insured, at the very least, riding in a regulated taxicab.Look around you in the taxicab and ensure all seat safety belts are in proper working order before the cab driver takes off at your destination. If you have a dysfunction in your safety belt harness, notify the cab driver at once, and if you cannot be accommodated, you should refuse the taxicab ride. You may be partly to blame for not wearing a seat belt if you get in a wreck later on with the taxicab. Do not be shy and tell the cab driver to slow down if they are driving too fast or erratically. Remember, your life is in their hands, too!
Who Can I Sue if I Get Injured while a Passenger in a California Taxicab Accident?
Depending on the facts of the accident, you can sue the at-fault driver, whether it was the cab driver, another vehicle, or both, if both were at fault. If the cab driver was at fault, and you were in a regulated taxicab with insurance, then you should have plenty of insurance to sue for to make you whole again from any injuries - however, each accident is different, and this wholly depends on the nature and extent of your injuries. Remember, under California law, taxicabs are considered "common carriers," which means they have a "heightened duty" to ensure you are safe and secure during your taxicab ride.Choosing the right California taxicab accident and San Diego injury lawyer may be difficult as not every injury lawyer has successfully handled these types of injury cases. Call me at (619) 813-7955, and I am more than happy to explain how I can help you with your taxicab injury case.
