In New York City, it is important to know where to find a good Taxi Accident Lawyer when you need one. Unfortunately, in this city, you may need one sooner than you think. Taxi accidents are very common in the City and can present some very specific legal issues. Understanding how to approach these cases can make all the difference.
How Can a Taxi Accident Lawyer Help with Medical Bills?
No-fault insurance pays your medical bills in a taxi accident. Your taxi accident lawyer will help explain which no-fault insurance should cover your bills. Generally, it works like this. If you are a passenger in a taxi, the taxi that you were in will cover your no-fault needs. This is regardless of who was at fault. For example, if you were in the taxi, and you were rear-ended, the taxi’s insurance will still cover you. If instead, you were a passenger and the taxi rear ended someone else, then the taxi will still cover you for no-fault purposes.
If however, you are in another vehicle and you are hit by a taxi, the no-fault insurance for the vehicle you were in will cover you. This, once again, is even if the vehicle you were in did nothing wrong. The general rule in New York is that whichever vehicle you were in at the time of the accident is the vehicle which covers you for no-fault. If a taxi hits you as a pedestrian, these rules do not apply because you were not in a vehicle at the time of the collision. In this case, your taxi accident lawyer should make sure the taxi insurance will cover your no-fault expenses. These expenses generally include medical bills as well as lost wages.
Taxi Company Insurance Coverage
In addition to no-fault, a taxi accident lawyer may help you recover beyond those basic expenses. If you pass the serious injury threshold, you may be able to recover for past and future pain and suffering, among other things. When it comes to a taxi cab, it is important to note that many of the drivers in the city are independent contractors. They are required by New York City to have at least $100,000 in insurance coverage. That means that, if your injuries qualify, you may recover this amount of money. What should you do if your injuries are worth more than $100,000?
Taxi Company Assets
Above the insurance policy, you will want to look at potential company assets. This is where the structure of the company will matter. If the cab drivers are independent contractors, you may not be able to recover above the $100,000. If this is the case, you may have to look to Supplementary Underinsured Motorist Coverage or SUM coverage.
SUM Coverage – What Should I Know From my Taxi Accident Lawyer?
Your taxi accident lawyer can explain that SUM coverage is insurance coverage which you have on your vehicle.
It can also be insurance coverage that someone you lived with at the time of the accident had.
Now you may be thinking, how can insurance coverage for a car that was not in the accident help in my recovery?
In New York, if the coverage on the SUM vehicle is higher than what you can recover from the defendant, you may be able to recover from the SUM vehicle as well. This will mean an addition recovery above the taxi’s insurance.
Conclusion
If you are a bit confused by different areas of recovery, you shouldn’t worry. Contact a reputable attorney. It is the job of your taxi accident lawyer to walk through this process
