If you suffered injuries in a car accident caused by a Plantation taxicab driver, you may be able to hold the negligent driver or their employer liable. Our Plantation car accident lawyers can help you file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. We will help you fight for the payout you need to cover your medical care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
A taxicab accident lawyer serving Plantation, FL, from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can review your case. We can explain your legal options for compensation after a Plantation crash. We can help you understand how these cases differ from a typical accident claim and navigate the claims process for you. Our office can provide you with a complimentary consultation with a member of our team today.
Available Damages In A Plantation, Florida, Taxicab Accident Case
Because of Florida’s no-fault accident laws, you must first turn to your personal injury protection (PIP) policy after a typical car accident. However, because taxicabs are commercial vehicles, this is typically not necessary when the driver who caused the crash is a taxi driver.
Instead, a personal injury lawyer can help you hold the taxi driver accountable through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit without needing to meet any other criteria. If we can win a payout for you in your case, you may be eligible for a wide range of damages. This may include:
- Medical care and related costs
- Ongoing care and future care expenses
- Lost wages, including commissions and bonuses
- Diminished earning capacity and lost benefits
- Repair or replacement of your vehicle
- Property damages for other personal property
- Related miscellaneous costs
You may also be able to collect noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages typically include such losses as:
- Pain and suffering damages
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Diminished quality of life
We can even help your family if you have lost a loved one in a Plantation car accident. You may be able to file a wrongful death claim to collect some of the above damages as well as funeral and burial expenses and loss of consortium and support.
If you have any questions about damages or your case in general, our legal team can answer them.
Liability Parties In A Plantation Taxicab Accident
Even in cases when it is clear the taxicab driver acted negligently, it is not always obvious who is liable after a crash. The structures of cab companies vary. Possibilities include:
- The driver owns the cab and operates independently.
- The driver works for a larger taxi company.
When the taxi driver works for a larger company, the legal doctrine of vicarious liability comes into play. This legal doctrine allows us to hold employers liable for the negligent actions their employees commit while on the clock. If the driver operates independently, they must still carry the state’s minimum liability insurance coverage for cabs.
Florida Statute 627.733(1) (b) requires all for-hire vehicles to carry a minimum liability policy that provides at least:
- $125,000 per person for bodily injuries
- $250,000 per accident for bodily injuries
- $50,000 for property damage
All taxicab drivers should have this type of coverage, regardless of whether they work for a large taxi company or operate on their own. Our accident attorneys can help you understand who is liable for your accident-related damages and help you file a claim.
Getting Compensation From A Taxicab Accident In Plantation
A taxicab accident lawyer from our team serving Plantation will assess your case and can advise you about whether we believe you have a valid claim for compensation. If so, our personal injury lawyers will accept your case and handle every step of the claims process for you. This includes:
Investigating Your Plantation Taxicab Accident Case
Before we can file a claim for compensation, we need to know exactly what happened and the role the taxicab driver played in your crash. To this end, we fully investigate every case we handle. As a part of our investigation, you can expect us to:
- Obtain copies of the police report and other documents
- Enlist a survey team to survey and document the accident scene
- Inspect all vehicles involved in the accident
- Identify and collect all available evidence
- Review witnesses’ statements
- Work with an accident reconstruction specialist
- Review your medical records
- Interview experts about your prognosis and ongoing medical needs
- Collect your bills, receipts, and other documentation of your damages
With this evidence, we can build your taxicab accident claim.
Proving Negligence And Liability For A Compensation Claim
Once we have collected all of the evidence, we need to prove the cab driver acted negligently, causing your accident and injuries. This process is the only way our auto accident attorneys can win a taxicab accident insurance claim or lawsuit. To prove negligence, we must meet the four elements of negligence:
- The taxicab driver had a duty to act or not act in a particular way.
- They failed to uphold this duty.
- Their failure led to the accident and your injuries.
- You suffered financial losses because of the accident.
When we can show these four elements, we can argue that you are owed compensation for your losses from the liable parties.
Filing An Insurance Claim For Your Plantation Accident
The process to file an insurance claim in this type of case begins when we send a demand letter to the taxicab driver’s insurance company. While we outline your full range of damages in our letter, the insurance company will most likely respond with a counter-offer. Typically, their counter-offer is much too low to cover your expenses and losses. However, we can usually parlay this into aggressive negotiating and often reach a fair settlement agreement at this point in the process.
Filing A Personal Injury Lawsuit
In some cases, though, our personal injury attorneys may need to take your case to court to recover the payout you deserve. These instances can include:
- When the insurance company denies liability
- When they deny your claim
- When they refuse a fair settlement agreement
When possible, we settle personal injury cases without resorting to trial. However, if presenting your case to the judge and asking for a fair payout is necessary, we will not back down. We are here to help you take back control of your life.
Bear in mind that time is limited. If we must take your case to court, we must do it before the statute of limitations expires. Under Florida Statutes § 95.11, you generally have two years to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death. If that deadline expires, your case may be dismissed from court, and you would lose your negotiating leverage.
Talk To A Taxicab Accident Lawyer Serving Plantation About Your Case Today
The Plantation car accident team from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine offers free case evaluations and consultations. If we believe you have a strong case for compensation, we will handle the claims process for you and fight for the payout you need after a Plantation taxicab accident.
Contact us today to discuss your case with a member of our team. You worry about getting better. We will take care of everything else.
We Can Help.
