There are more than 13,000 yellow (medallion) taxi cabs that service New York City.  A number of New York City visitors and residents are injured by taxi cabs on a daily basis — as passengers, in collisions while driving or riding in another vehicle, or as pedestrians.

Our law firm has found that an increasing number of taxi cab drivers are putting up a big legal fight when they are involved in a motor vehicle accident, often denying responsibility altogether.  On October 21 of this year, the news services reported that a cab driver struck a pedestrian in Brooklyn and actually fled the scene.

A taxi cab driver is likely to try to avoid or deny responsibility for an accident for the following reasons:

  • Possible loss of license. New York City taxi drivers are governed by The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), which provides medallion taxi certifications and hack licenses that allow qualified drivers to legally operate taxis in the City.  The commission also prosecutes complaints from the police and from consumers, and has the ability to impose penalties on drivers and revoke their taxi licenses.  Drivers who face inquiry by the TLC fight extra hard because their commercial driver’s license and job may be on the line.
  • Risk of income loss. In addition to the stress and risk involved, driving a taxi in New York City is not a lucrative business.  After paying their TLC fees, taxi education courses and gasoline, cab drivers who do not pick up a sufficient number of passengers on their shifts take home very little cash at the end of the day.  With the added expense of automobile repairs, penalties and increased insurance expenses, drivers actually risk losing money after a day’s work.
  • Increase in insurance premiums. Yellow cab drivers are required to carry a minimum $100,000/$300,000 in liability insurance and at least $50,000 in no-fault coverage for medical and other health related expenses and for loss of income. Before you get into a private taxi or gypsy cab, keep in mind that they probably carry only the minimum coverage of $25,000/$50,000. Since an accident is going to raise their premiums, it is not surprising that many drivers do not report accidents to their insurers.

Since taxi drivers are often fighting for their very livelihood, it is crucial that you obtain the assistance of an experienced and aggressive New York cab accident lawyer if you or a loved one is injured or killed by a negligent or reckless driver.

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