Lots of people use taxis everyday – from the elderly out on shopping trips to young adults enjoying a night out. There are many accidents each year involving taxis and their passengers. It may not be apparent to many people, but if you have been involved in an accident in a taxi, it’s likely you have a claim for compensation. Just because you aren’t a relation or friend to the person driving doesn’t mean you cannot pursue a claim.
In the majority of Road Traffic Accidents, passengers involved could not have contributed in any way to the incident, which usually means claiming for compensation is very simple. In a lot of accidents involving taxis there are one or more passengers involved; again all passengers have a potential claim for compensation even if the taxi driver was at fault.
If you have been involved in an accident in a taxi, always try and obtain / provide the following information:
- Take the taxi driver’s name, vehicle registration and company name for which he/ she works.
- Take the details of any person(s) that witnessed what happened; these people can be relied on later to support your claim for compensation.
- Take pictures of the scene of the accident, or draw a sketch plan.
- Write down a statement of events; try and stick to the facts.
- Also take pictures, if possible, of any injuries you have as a result of the accident.
All of the above will be valuable evidence for pursing your claim for compensation, and this information may also be useful if you chose to contact the police. If you didn’t contribute to the accident in any way, in the eyes of the law you are an innocent party. As an innocent party with injuries, you are entitled to claim for compensation from the party at fault.
The party at fault should be covered by an insurance policy; this insurance policy will cover any compensation you are entitled to claim for. The insurance will also cover you for any losses you might have incurred as a result of the accident; such as medical fee’s, prescription bills, lost earnings, or even petrol that you might have paid out for to travel to the hospital or your GP. Always try and keep the receipts of any expenses – that way you will be able to claim the losses back.
If you feel you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation, speak to an expert. It is always best to get advice from an independent firm of personal injury solicitors; they will give you the guidance and support you need to follow your claim through to a successful conclusion.
