Taxi Accidents

New York City is the center of the universe. In the Borough of Manhattan (but less so in Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx) it is becoming increasingly difficult to own and operate a private car.  Street parking during daytime is nonexistent, there are bus lanes and fire lanes, and parts of roadways closed off for pedestrian walking and sitting areas.  

If you don’t take public transportation – like a bus or subway – taxis can be the best way to get around New York City.  Every year some 240 million people use a taxi; and each year the average New Yorker rides a taxi 100 times. Even if you don’t ride taxis, you probably share the roads with them – whether you bicycle, drive a car, truck, motorcycle or bus, or walk, as your main means of transportation.  To see my blog post about a taxicab injuring a mother and son (pedestrians) crossing the street, click here.

Every year many New Yorkers and New York tourists are hurt while passengers in taxi cabs, or when in another vehicle involved in a collision with a taxi cab.  About 13,000 taxi accidents occur each year.

There are two basic types of taxi cabs in New York City.  Yellow or medallion taxi cabs and livery cars. Livery cars are also known as “black cars” (they were once all black).  Livery cars and limousines are always only supposed to be dispatched by a car service in response to a passenger request.  In other words, in New York City only yellow (medallion) taxis can make street pick-ups without being sent for in advance.  Of course, every New Yorker knows that livery cabs do make illegal street pickups.  In case you were wondering, in New York, livery cars outnumber yellow taxis by more than 3 to 1.

More Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn accident and injury surprises:  Studies show that New York City cab drivers are less likely to have accidents then drivers of other types of motor vehicles.  People who study these types of accidents and injuries believe that taxi drivers’ good safety records are due to the drivers’ length of time (experience) driving and because unsafe taxi drivers, with too many accidents or traffic tickets – may have their driving privileges taken away or lose the ability to get insurance coverage.

Because taxicabs have a solid plexiglass partition separating passengers from driver and, also, because most taxi cab and livery passengers don’t wear their seatbelts, passengers hurt in a taxi cab tend to be hurt or injured worse than passengers in other vehicles.  The partitions are particularly known for contributing to serious personal injury to passengers – including broken bones in the face, eye injuries, fractured teeth, and cuts and bruises to the face.

In the Boroughs of New York City, including Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens, there are about 30 cab accidents daily.  Licensed taxi cabs and livery cars are required by law to minimum insurance coverage of $100,000/$300,000.  This means that any single person injured due to a taxi or livery driver's negligence can recover up to $100,000. The maximum that the insurance company would pay negligently injured people would be $300,000. And while $300,000 sounds like a lot of money, it may not go very far if more than one person is seriously hurt in an accident.  In certain cases there may be ways to recover more money, even from the owner of a taxi medallion; an issue best explored by an experienced tax or livery car personal injury or negligence lawyer.

Unlicensed "gypsy" cars that sometimes don't even have taxi or livery license plates are common in some parts of New York City. They may have no insurance at all or only minimum New York State insurance coverage limits of $25,000/$50,000. Hardly enough to protect consumers from a driver's negligence in the event of a serious car crash.

As a taxi cab or livery passenger, if you are hurt in a taxicab accident, you are entitled to receive New York State No-Fault insurance benefits to pay for your medical bills and treatment. No-Fault insurance is different from monetary recovery for your pain and suffering.  Click here to see my free special report on New York State No-Fault insurance coverage.

The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission has enacted a Bill of Rights for passengers of taxi (medallion) cabs
and a different Bill of Rights for riders in livery cars.

I represent New York taxi cab accident victims and those hurt in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian and bicycle accidents and other accidents involving taxi cabs.

For your serious personal injury, you need legal representation from a qualified personal injury attorney.  Contact us for your free consultation.

Law Offices of Gary E. Rosenberg, P.C.

(718) 520-8787