Getting into an accident in a cab can be a traumatic experience, as you have no control over the vehicle or the driver, and you could sustain serious injuries, which is why you need a good Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer on your side.
At Munley Law, our taxicab accident lawyers have been helping taxi accident victims for almost 70 years. We’re passionate about ensuring our clients get the compensation they need to recover and move on with their lives, and as a result, we’ve secured many multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Results like that make it easy to see why our firm and our lawyers are routinely honored by legal institutions and thought leaders in Pennsylvania, the US, and further afield.
All our lawyers are members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Association for Justice, and four of our attorneys are board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. We’ve also received accolades and awards from Martindale-Hubbell, Lawdragon, Best Law Firms, Super Lawyers, Irish Legal 100, and others. Plus, our clients have given us five-star Google Reviews.
Our lawyers are experienced personal injury lawyers who know how to negotiate, fight, and win your case. Don’t try to do this alone. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a cab driver in Philly, you want expert legal assistance to help you recover maximum compensation for your losses. Contact our attorneys today for a free consultation.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 Who is Liable In Philadelphia Taxi Cab Accidents?
One of the first steps in any personal injury case is determining who is liable for the taxi cab accident. This will be the part you are able to pursue for damages in a taxi accident claim. In a taxi accident, the list of liable parties involved is more than just the taxi driver.
Here is who may be liable in your taxi accident:
Taxi Cab Drivers: In many cases, it is the taxi cab driver’s negligent behavior that causes an accident. In this case, their insurance company will usually be responsible for the damages and injuries.
Taxicab Companies: Many taxi drivers operate under a larger cab company. These companies may offer insurance policies that cover accident victims if they were in any way at fault. Their negligence can include failing to repair or service the vehicle while under their care, or other factors that may have caused your taxi cab accident.
Others Sharing the Road: If you were a passenger who hired a tax cab driver but your taxi accident was not the driver’s fault and was instead caused by another driver on the road, you could seek compensation from that driver’s insurance company.
Manufacturers: If your accident was due to a malfunctioning or defective auto part, that company could be responsible for some negligence for causing your Philadelphia taxi accident.
Philadelphia City Government: Some taxi accidents are caused by road conditions that have deteriorated to the point where the Philadelphia government should have alerted the public or fixed them. In these cases, they could potentially be held liable for causing an accident on the roads.
If you’ve been injured in a taxi accident, it can be difficult to determine who on the above list – and it can be more than one – is liable for your taxi accident. An experienced Philadelphia taxi accident attorney will be able to help you identify who is at-fault and who to pursue in a personal injury case.
Do Taxicabs Have Insurance for Accidents?
When you get into a car accident, your first call may be to your insurance company. However, after a taxi accident, you may be wondering if your cab driver has insurance to cover any damages. They do. Under 75 Pa. C.S. Vehicles § 1702, all taxi drivers in Pennsylvania are required to have a liability insurance policy that covers up to $35,000. This is broken down into “$15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 bodily injury per accident, and $5,000 property damage per accident.”
A Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer at Munley Law can help you recover damages from your taxi driver’s insurance company.
Why Do Taxi Accidents Occur in Philadelphia, PA?
Just like car accidents, a taxi accident can happen in Philadelphia, PA, for a variety of reasons. Inclement weather may have caused deteriorating conditions on the road. Sometimes an accident involving pedestrians, bicyclists, or other parties can cause a cab driver to crash.
Taxi accidents can have many causes, but the most common of them include:
- Driving while tired
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving accidents
- Poor weather conditions, such as ice or fog
Who Could Be Injured in a Taxi Cab Accident?
In a city like Philadelphia, taxi cabs can always be found taking passengers around the city. While taxicab drivers usually are very familiar with city roads, they can also work long shifts or get distracted when looking for their next ride. When that happens, negligent errors can happen that threaten anyone sharing the road. This includes:
- Taxicab passengers
- Other drivers of other vehicles
- Pedestrians
- Bicyclists
- Motorcyclists
- Bus drivers
Whether you were a passenger, pedestrian, or fellow driver, if a cab driver’s negligence caused an accident in which you sustained injuries, contact us today for a free consultation.
“At Munley Law, our mission is simple: to provide all injury victims equal access to justice, even against the most powerful entities. For more than 65 years, we have been the voice for the injured, the forgotten, and those who need someone to stand beside them in their darkest hour.”
Marion Munley
What Can You Get Compensation for in a Philadelphia Taxi Accident?
A taxi cab accident in Philadelphia can cause serious injury to passengers as well as other people sharing the road. Similar to any other kind of auto accident, taxicab accident victims can be owed compensation for a variety of damages, and it could extend well past just covering medical bills.
If you are a passenger, car driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, or anyone involved in a cab accident, you can claim economic and non-economic damages in a Philadelphia taxi accident case.
Economic Damages
After a taxi accident, you might be wondering what economic losses you might be entitled to compensation for. Economic damages are objective, quantifiable damages and can include:
- Medical expenses such as medical bills, medical treatment, and medical attention
- Property damage, including to your vehicle
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Physical therapy or rehab
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more subjective and can be more difficult to prove. Having a qualified and experienced accident attorney on your side will help you understand non-economic damages, such as:
- Emotional Distress Also Known as Mental Anguish: This is legally defined as “a highly unpleasant emotional reaction (as anguish, humiliation, or fury) which results from another’s conduct and for which damages may be sought.”
- Pain and Suffering: This can include physical and mental pain
- Permanent Damages: These are any damages that indefinitely restrict you or your loved one’s employment or other normal activities. In a lawsuit to recover damages caused by the negligence or intentional wrongful act of another, a permanent injury can be a major element in an award of general damages
- Disabilities: Any damage that substantially reduces an individual’s capacity to engage in one or more major life activities of an individual
- Psychological or Psychiatric Harm: This is defined as a psychological or psychiatric condition that developed as a result of a traumatic event. The condition is severe enough that it impacts your ability to perform routine life or work tasks
Our Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer will work with financial and medical experts to determine how much compensation will cover your damages fairly and will negotiate with insurance companies or go to court to ensure you receive it.
Common Taxicab Accident Injuries
Taxicab accidents can cause a variety of injuries, depending on the details of the accident and how you were involved. A passenger, for instance, might sustain lesser taxi accident injuries than a pedestrian hit while crossing the road. Regardless of the severity of the injuries suffered, you can seek compensation from the negligent parties.
Here are some common physical injuries caused by a taxi cab accident:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Whiplash
- Compound Fractures
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Herniated Discs
- Other Back injuries (Thoracic, mid-back, lumbar, and lower back discs, leading to disc compression or herniation)
- Internal bleeding or damage to organs (heart, lungs, spleen, liver, kidney, ribs, etc.)
- Dislocation
- Burns
- Amputated Limbs
- Paralysis
- Soft Tissue Damage
If you have been in a taxi accident, seek medical attention immediately. Even though you might not feel as if you sustained serious injuries, many injuries suffered in a car accident may not be immediately apparent. Whiplash, for instance, can take weeks to make itself evident. The effects of traumatic brain injuries can show up slowly over days, weeks, or months. You will also want a timely record for your claim of all of the medical attention you required as a result of your accident.
Philadelphia Taxi Accident Injuries Are Often More Serious
In a city like Philadelphia, hopping in and out of a cab quickly for a trip that might be only a couple of miles is routine. Passengers in taxi cabs are far less likely to wear seatbelts compared to how often they buckle up in their own vehicles.
Without this commonplace protection, if you are in a taxi cab accident, you are more likely to suffer serious injuries, even fatal injuries.
How Can a Philadelphia Taxi Accident Lawyer Help You?
Sustaining injuries in any kind of accident can be a traumatic experience. If you’ve been in an accident involving a taxi cab, it can be complicated to determine negligence and then fight for the compensation you deserve. This is where an experienced taxi accident lawyer can make a big difference.
From fighting insurance companies to settlement negotiations, taxi accident lawyers have the skills and experience you need to receive maximum compensation. Here is how a Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer can help:
Gathering Evidence: After an accident, it’s imperative to collect evidence that can help prove your case. This includes the police report, witness statement, immediate medical treatment, photos and videos, security footage where applicable, and more. A lawyer can help navigate collecting all of this documentation.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies and Liable Parties: A taxi accident lawyer will fight on your behalf with insurance adjusters, as well as the companies of other parties involved. Without a lawyer, you could get taken advantage of or pressured into accepting a settlement that won’t even scratch the surface of helping you recover from your injuries.
Using Experts to Evaluate and Prove Your Case: While the evidence is key in proving your specific case, experts can help further add validity to your claims. An expert can also help your lawyer understand taxicab accidents and what compensation you should expect to receive.
Are Taxis “Common Carriers” in Pennsylvania?
According to Pennsylvania state law, a “common carrier” is defined as: “Any and all persons or corporations holding out, offering, or undertaking, directly or indirectly, service for compensation to the public for the transportation of passengers or property, or both, or any class of passengers or property, between points within this Commonwealth by, through, over, above, or under land, water, or air, and shall include forwarders, but shall not include contract carriers by motor vehicles, or brokers, or any bona fide cooperative association transporting property exclusively for the members of such association on a nonprofit basis. The term does not include a transportation network company or a transportation network company driver.”
In this sense, taxis definitely are common carriers, and under PA law, are legally held to a higher standard of care. This can make it easier for your lawyer to establish negligence in the event of a taxicab accident. Negligence can be one of the most important and complex things to establish after any car accident, so this higher standard of care can make it easier for your attorney to seek compensation and win your claim.
All drivers are expected to drive in a reasonably safe manner (also known as duty of care), and common carriers are legally required to use the absolute utmost care to keep their passengers – and anyone entering or exiting the cab – safe.
Unfortunately, taxi drivers, like anyone else, can breach this public duty and drive in a manner that may result in car accidents.
Negligence on the part of taxi cab drivers that may result in accidents includes:
- Failing to yield when required
- Speeding
- Driving recklessly, such as weaving in and out of traffic
- Distracted driving
- Making illegal U-turns
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Of course, these are only some examples of negligence on the part of a taxicab driver. There can be many more. Call your experienced Philadelphia taxi accident lawyers today if you believe your accident was caused by negligence by a taxi driver.
Is Reckless Driving a Major Cause of Philadelphia Taxi Accidents?
Most taxi drivers feel comfortable on the road because they usually drive familiar routes on familiar roads in a city that they know well. This could, in effect, be a factor that may encourage them to drive more aggressively than they might have done otherwise. Passengers could aggravate this behavior by insisting they need to get to their destination quickly.
With more than 1,600 taxis on the road in Philadelphia, cab accidents are inevitable. Reckless driving already is a major cause of car and truck accidents in the commonwealth. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, some of the reckless driving behaviors that caused accidents in 2024 include speeding (23,427 crashes), improper turning (13,313), proceeding without clearance (8,971), driving under the influence (6,929), tailgating (5,456), and careless/illegal passing (5,247).
Why Choose Munley Law for Your Philly Taxi Accident Lawyer?
If you or a loved one was involved in a taxicab accident in Philly, you need an experienced Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer fighting for you. With more than 250 years of combined legal experience, we know how to find negligent parties and hold them accountable.
We’re known for negotiating fiercely with insurance companies and presenting watertight arguments in court, which is why we’ve recovered more than $1 billion in damages for clients. Our expertise is recognized far beyond the Keystone State’s borders, with the National Trial Lawyers naming J. Christopher Munley among the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers and all our partners among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania. Martindale-Hubbell awarded them its highest ratings, AV Preeminent, and Best Lawyers named Marion Munley Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation. In addition, Marion and Daniel Munley are members of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Along with Caroline Munley, Marion’s also a member of the International Society of Barristers and Litigation Counsel of America.
Don’t jeopardize your case by entrusting it to representation without a solid track record. Gain peace of mind by choosing Munley Law for your Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Philadelphia Taxi Accident Cases
What Should I Do Right After a Taxi Accident?
Right after a taxi accident, you should stay in the vehicle unless it’s too dangerous to remain inside, ensure someone at the scene calls 911, and seek medical attention even if you don’t think you’re injured. Next, record the names of everyone involved (including witnesses) and photograph the entire scene, including vehicles involved, traffic signals, road conditions, and any injuries you or others have sustained.
What Should I Do in the Days Following My Taxicab Accident?
Following your taxicab accident, you should obtain a copy of the police report, keep a detailed account of doctor visits (including test results, prescribed medications, and any other treatments), and keep receipts and any proof of out-of-pocket expenses. You also should record any work or other activities you miss and avoid accepting a settlement offer from anyone’s insurance provider until you’ve spoken to a Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer at Munley Law.
Should I Accept an Offer From the Taxicab’s Insurance Company?
No, you shouldn’t accept an offer from the taxicab’s insurance company before speaking with a lawyer. The insurance company, in many cases, wants to avoid having to pay out. A Philadelphia taxi accident lawyer can help you understand the value of your case. They will review all your costs and come back to you with a fair estimate of what your settlement offer should really be.
What Compensation Might I Be Entitled To Following A Philadelphia Taxi Accident?
Following a Philadelphia taxi accident, you may be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are objective and quantifiable and may include medical bills, property damage, rehabilitation, and lost wages. Non-economic damages are subjective and not easily quantifiable. Examples of these damages include pain and suffering and reduced quality of life.
What Happens If I Get in a Taxi Cab Accident in Philly?
If you get in a taxi can accident in Philly and are injured, your first step should be to contact a Philadelphia taxi accident attorney at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. Our team can make sure you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
How Much is My Philadelphia Taxi Accident Case Worth?
There is no way to tell what your Philadelphia taxi accident case is worth without knowing the details. Every accident has different factors that can greatly impact or determine the value of what you are owed. The best way to understand what your case is worth is to contact an experienced taxi accident lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys.
How Long Do I Have to File My Claim Following a Taxi Accident In Philadelphia?
Under 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 5524 (2), Pennsylvania law gives you two years from the date of the crash to file your claim following a taxi accident in Philadelphia. However, do not put off calling your accident attorney. As time goes on, memories will fade, details will become less clear and it might be more difficult to find eyewitnesses to the accident scene from the day of the accident. Seek immediate legal assistance — as soon as it is reasonable.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Philadelphia Taxi Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a taxi cab accident in the City of Brotherly Love, let one of our experienced Philadelphia taxi accident lawyers make sure you get the help you deserve. We have been helping accident victims in Pennsylvania since 1959. We’re passionate about helping our clients, and we have a winning record to prove it.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Marion Munley
Marion Munley has been practicing personal injury law for nearly 40 years. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy for Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy. She currently serves as Vice President of the American Association for Justice, an organization dedicated to safeguarding victims’ rights. Marion has won many multimillion-dollar recoveries for her clients, including one of the largest trucking accident settlements in history. She has been named a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania since 2023, a Best Lawyer in America, and was recently inducted to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1617 John F Kennedy Blvd
Suite 1690,
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 515-7747
