Were you or a family member injured in a car accident involving a taxi in Clearwater, FL? You may be entitled to recover compensation from the person responsible for the accident. An experienced Clearwater taxi accident lawyer at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and more.
With over 119 years of combined experience in personal injury law, you can count on our team to fight for the maximum compensation you deserve. We’ve been committed to helping clients like you since we opened our practice back in 2001.
When you’re ready to learn more about your legal options, contact our law offices in Clearwater, Florida to schedule a free consultation at (727) 493-4418.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Taxi Accident in Clearwater
Any auto accident case can be complicated. Accidents involving taxis are unique in many respects. If the cab driver caused the accident, you may end up filing your insurance claim against a taxi company or party who wasn’t even there when the accident happened. Our experienced Clearwater personal injury lawyers can help.
When you hire Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers to handle your claim, our lawyers will:
- Provide sound legal advice throughout the process
- Handle the insurance claim and paperwork
- Investigate and gather evidence to prove that someone else caused your injuries
- Identify all responsible parties and insurance coverage options
- Work with respected experts and specialists who can offer valuable evidence
- Determine how much your accident claim is worth
- Negotiate with the insurance company to recover the maximum compensation possible
Life after an accident can be difficult enough. Let us simplify the process by handling the legal issues. We’ll work with you from the beginning so that you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.
Are you ready to get started? Contact our legal team to schedule a free case evaluation with a Clearwater personal injury lawyer today.
What Is My Clearwater Taxi Accident Case Worth?
Lawsuits can be extremely stressful. While most accident victims don’t have to file a lawsuit to recover fair compensation, the insurance claims process itself can be overwhelming. It’s common to wonder how much your case is worth before seeking compensation.
Our lawyers will evaluate many different factors when we are determining your case value.
Some of the most important variables include:
- Whether your injuries were mild, severe, or permanent
- The cost of your medical treatment
- The duration of your recovery and the time you miss at work
- Whether the injury will change your lifestyle
- Your need for ongoing rehabilitation or future medical care
- The strength of your negligence case
- Whether you played any role in causing the accident
The amount of insurance coverage that is available can also play a role in how much your personal injury case is ultimately worth.
Taxis are common carriers in the state of Florida. Under Florida insurance laws, taxis are required to carry:
- Bodily injury liability coverage of $125,000 per person
- Bodily injury liability coverage of $250,000 per accident
- Property damage liability coverage of $50,000
These limits are higher than the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that private drivers are required to maintain.
Do you have questions about your case value? Assessing the value of a personal injury claim can be difficult. Our lawyers have years of experience helping injured clients like you. We’d be happy to help you determine how much you really deserve, so give us a call today.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Taxi Accident Victims in Clearwater, FL?
Motor vehicle accident victims can pursue compensation for both economic damages and non-economic losses.
Economic damages compensate victims for their past and future financial costs, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and income
- Lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages compensate victims for their more personal non-financial losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Inconvenience
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Loss of consortium or society
It’s important to recover compensation for all of your losses after an accident. Expenses can add up quickly–and you may not be able to work while you recover. You can count on our Clearwater taxi accident attorneys to work tirelessly to recover the full compensation you deserve.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Taxi Accident in Florida?
If someone else was even partly to blame for the accident, you can seek compensation even if you also share some of the blame.
Under Florida’s pure comparative fault laws, responsibility is divided between all parties who are involved in an accident. Each person is responsible for their own share of fault. For example, if you were 20% responsible for the accident, you’re still entitled to 80% of your settlement or verdict.
Unless you were a passenger in the taxicab, it’s very likely that the insurance company will try to pin some of the blame on you. When that happens, it’s important to have an experienced lawyer by your side to help minimize the impact of the shared fault laws.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Taxi Accident Injuries
Taxi accident injuries can be severe. Unrestrained taxi passengers tend to suffer the most serious injuries.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, our lawyers in Clearwater often represent taxi accident victims who have suffered:
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Burns
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Back injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Internal injuries
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you were injured, don’t hesitate to learn more about your legal options. Our lawyers offer free consultations to all potential clients, so call our law firm to schedule yours today.
What Causes Most Taxi Accidents in Clearwater, Florida?
Taxi drivers spend hours of their day behind the wheel. As a result, many taxi cab accidents occur because cab drivers become tired, distracted, and impatient. That said, taxi accidents happen for all different reasons.
Some of the most common causes of taxi accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Speeding and other traffic violations
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Stopping in unsafe locations to pick up passengers
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe passing
- Weaving between lanes
- Dangerous turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Operating the taxi under the influence of drugs
- Poor weather and limited visibility
- Negligent hiring practices, including failure to make sure taxi drivers are qualified
Taxi accidents also happen when taxi companies fail to maintain the cab in a safe condition. Worn tires, damaged brakes, and defective vehicles can all contribute to the cause of an accident.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Taxi Accident in Florida?
Once you understand what caused your accident, you’ll still have to prove that someone else was at least partly responsible. Most accident victims must prove negligence to recover damages.
Negligence requires establishing four basic elements:
- The at-fault party’s legal duty of care
- A breach of duty occurred
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident
- You sustained some type of damages
As common carriers, taxi drivers are held to a higher standard of care than ordinary drivers. Still, you’ll have to locate evidence to prove what happened.
The types of evidence that tend to be most useful include:
- Police and accident reports
- Video surveillance footage
- Eyewitness statements
- The taxi company’s records about vehicle inspection and maintenance
- The cab driver’s past safety record
- Cell phone records
- Photos of the crash scene
- Evidence from the accident scene, including vehicle placement or skid marks
- Medical records and statements from your doctor
- Opinions from accident reconstruction specialists in particularly complex cases
Building a strong personal injury case can take time. You don’t have to wait until your injuries are fully healed to take legal action. Our lawyers are ready to begin our investigation today. Just give us a quick call to schedule your free case review.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After a Taxi Accident in Florida?
Taxi accident victims have four years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Under the Florida statute of limitations, if you fail to file a lawsuit within the four-year window, your case will be dismissed.
Keep in mind that you could have less time, depending on the circumstances. For example, if the city of Clearwater was somehow to blame, you’ll only have a matter of months to take legal action. If the accident was fatal, you have only two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
These deadlines are important. If you wait too long, you could lose your right to compensation entirely. Our lawyers can help you determine the deadline for your case.
Contact a Clearwater Taxi Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Do you have questions about your legal rights after an accident? Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation today. An experienced Clearwater taxi accident attorney can sit down and discuss your case in detail.