Taxi Accident Claims
Taxi accident claims arise when injury occurs which involves a licensed taxi. As long as there is an identifiable third party who is proved to be at fault for the incident, it is possible to seek taxi accident compensation.
Claims can be pursued if you are a:
Passenger
Driver
Pedestrian
Third party motorist
As long as a licensed taxi is involved in the incident, a claim can arise relating to sustained injuries.
What are the most common taxi accident injuries?
Taxi accident claims can cover a wide range of injuries but some will typically be more common than others. The list of regularly occurring injuries includes but is not limited to:
Whiplash
Broken bones
Soft tissue injuries – bruises and sprains
Serious head injuries
If you’ve suffered any form of injury involving a taxi, irrespective of whether it falls inside or outside of this list, it’s advisable to contact a solicitor to establish if a taxi passenger accident claim can be made.
What to do after a taxi accident?
The very first thing that you should do following a taxi accident is to seek medical attention if it is required. This is a priority so check your own potential injuries first before turning your attention to fellow passengers if anyone else is involved.
If attention is required, call an ambulance immediately.
If you are fit to do so, you should now record information that may be required by a taxi accident claims solicitor. This would include taxi license and registration number plus names and addresses of any witnesses. It can be a good idea to take photos on your mobile phone and to note down the circumstances while they are fresh in your memory.
Lastly, the incident should be reported to the Gardai and your taxi claims lawyer. Those are the initial steps that you should take before looking to seek taxi accident compensation.
How to make a claim for a taxi accident?
Taxi accident claims in Ireland must be reported to the Injuries Board. Your solicitor can do this for you and they can also move on and prepare the case for claims submission.
Along with the information you obtained at the scene, medical records and associated costs will be required. Your solicitor will then contact the responsible third party and present the case to them.
In some cases, blame will be accepted and a settlement figure will be offered by the third party in question. If the claim is disputed or the offer is deemed to be unacceptable and not open to negotiation, the taxi claims lawyer will take your case to court.
How long after a taxi accident can you claim?
The time period to keep in mind in this instance is two years. Irish law states that the claimant has up to two years from the date of knowledge to submit their claim directly to court or via a taxi injury lawyer.
Note the term ‘date of knowledge’. This specifically means the date that the injured party was aware of the injuries that they had sustained and that these were significant.
In the majority of taxi accident claims, the date of the incident and the date of knowledge will be the same. However, certain types of symptoms may take a little longer to manifest themselves so this legal term is worth keeping in mind.
Irrespective of the two year restriction, it’s advisable to contact a taxi injury lawyer as soon as possible so that the details of the case are fresh in the mind and do not become confused over time.
What is the average payout for a taxi accident claim?
While it is possible to identify average payouts for all types of injury settlements, the exact amount of taxi accident compensation that you may be able to claim will depend on a number of factors.
When taking into account the circumstances of the incident, the following aspects will be assessed:
Nature and severity of the injuries sustained
Initial cost of medical treatment
Projected figures relating to ongoing, medical treatment (if applicable)
The starting point, which would typically cover soft tissue injuries and minor breaks, may begin at around 1,000 Euros. From here, the most serious taxi accident claims which involve death or life changing injuries could potentially reach high six figures.
From those two extremes, it can be possible to identify a very rough average sum but this is very much dependent on your own individual circumstances. The best course of action is to discuss with a solicitor if you want to know potential levels of taxi injury compensation.