At Bertoldo Carter Smith & Cullen, our personal injury and wrongful death attorneys in Las Vegas are monitoring the evolving transportation landscape with an eye always on the legal liabilities involved in their use. With visitors flooding the city daily, our Clark County, Nevada attorneys and staff pay close attention to the pedestrian, car, and taxi movements involved in the city’s traffic patterns. Last month we talked about claiming compensation for accidents involving ride-sharing companies, like Lyft and Uber, and it remains an important topic.
Lyft and Uber are transporting a sizable portion of people throughout most cities, and the argument regarding licensing and insurance policies related to their expansion will continue. Even with their market share, the numbers in Las Vegas still point to the taxicab as the most popular choice, especially for airport pick-ups.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, on January 8, 2018, during the annual, highly touted Consumer Electronics Show, taxis outran Uber and Lyft to beat their combined pick-up record at the Las Vegas McCarran Airport.
On that single day there were
- 11,465 combined Uber and Lyft airport pick-ups
- 18,413 taxi airport pick-ups
- Totaling a record-breaking 29,878 airport pick-ups; not counting buses, limos, personal drivers, and other modes of transportation
- The previous record was 28,766, set the year before
With taxis remaining a prominent mode of transit, it is important to know your rights when you use their services, and what will happen if you are in a wreck as a passenger.
How Do Taxi Accidents Occur in Las Vegas, NV?
With a constantly ticking meter, profits increase for the driver and the taxi company if they are moving – and usually moving quickly.
Taxi accidents are often the result of one or more of the following:
- Driver fatigue
- A driver who is under the influence, or distracted
- Failure to stop in a safe place
- Inadequate driver screenings or background checks
- Reckless driving or speeding
- Negligent training and supervision
If You Are Involved in an Accident as a Taxi Passenger, Who Pays?
The Nevada Taxicab Authority lists 3,250 taxis in their fleet. The taxis are required to carry commercial insurance, which is designed to cover any injuries a passenger endures during their ride. These insurance companies will fight hard to avoid fault or pay the injured party what they are rightfully owed because of the accident.
The injuries you sustain as a result of a taxi collision may be worse than in other incidents. If you are a passenger in a taxi, injuries can often be worse because of inability to brace for impact (did not see it coming), unadjusted headrest height, lack of airbags, hard objects near the passenger (e.g., payment devices, computer screens, advertisements). By riding in the taxi, the driver is accountable for your well-being, from your entrance, safe transport, to your exit from his or her vehicle. If you are hit by a taxi, the taxi may be traveling at high speed and can be equipped with special external modifications that could increase the severity of the impact.
If you are involved in a traffic accident with a taxi, as a passenger, driver, bicyclist, or a pedestrian, the taxi driver’s commercial insurance coverage will be the focus of your recovery compensation, but it will take a seasoned attorney to ensure you get the financial settlement or trial outcome you deserve.
Contact Bertoldo Carter Smith & Cullen for a Free Consultation Today
If you have been involved in an injury-producing collision with a taxi and while in a taxi, or you have a spouse or close family member who was fatally injured due to a taxi driver’s negligence, contact one of our personal injury attorneys in Las Vegas Valley today at (702) 505-8115 to understand your next legal steps to pursuing compensation.