Las Vegas taxi cab crashes can lead to very serious injuries, especially since passengers typically do not wear seat belts. And since cabs commonly travel in areas with high foot traffic like the Strip, pedestrians are also often hurt by taxi collisions.
Our Las Vegas taxi cab accident lawyers represent crash victims in their fight for maximum compensation from all the people and companies responsible for their injuries. And our personal injury attorneys seek damages not only for physical injuries but also for pain and suffering as well.
1. Who do I sue after a taxi cab crash?
Anyone involved in a crash involving a Las Vegas taxi driver can sue the taxi cab company. (Or if the car was a limo, you can sue the limousine company.) It does not matter whether you were:
- a passenger in the taxi,
- a driver or passenger in another vehicle hit by the taxi,
- a pedestrian, cyclist, skateboarder, etc. hit by the taxi, or
- a pedestrian whose feet got rolled over by the taxi.
Even though the individual taxi- or limo-driver may have been responsible for causing the collision, the driver’s employer is vicariously liable for their employees’ negligence.
In addition to suing the taxi company, you may have legal grounds to sue:
- other motorists who may have caused the crash,
- the taxi car manufacturer or mechanics (if the car had defects), or
- the city of Las Vegas or Clark County if the collision was caused by bad roads, signage, etc.
A Las Vegas car accident attorney will investigate the case and determine all the possible people and companies you can sue for damages following a taxi car crash.1
Common causes of cab accidents are aggressive driving, bad brakes, and driver fatigue.
2. What money can I sue for?
As with any personal injury case, accident victims following a Las Vegas taxi crash can sue the at-fault parties for:
- medical bills,
- property repairs,
- lost wages,
- loss of future earnings, and/or
- pain and suffering
When victims die from a taxi accident injury, their estate or heirs can pursue such wrongful death damages as burial expenses and loss of support.2
In cases that reach trial, victims may be able to persuade the court to award punitive damages as well if the taxi company acted in a particularly egregious way – such as by not having seat belts or not servicing the brake linings.3
Note that Nevada law generally requires taxi cabs to carry insurance coverage of up to $250,000 for one person’s bodily injury or death, up to $500,000 for the bodily injury or death of two or more people, and up to $50,000 for destruction of property. But it may be possible to recover more damages from the taxi companies than what their insurance company provides.4
3. Can I still get money if I was partly to blame?
Sometimes Las Vegas taxi cab victims contribute to the crash such as by speeding or by jaywalking. But as long as you were no more than 50% to blame for causing your injuries in a taxi crash, then you should still be eligible for money damages.5
Read more about how Nevada’s modified comparative negligence laws work.
4. Is there a time limit to sue?
Yes. Most lawsuits stemming from Nevada taxi cab crashes must be filed no more than two years after the crash.6 But victims should not wait to consult with an experienced Las Vegas taxi accident lawyer.
In order to craft a winning case, your legal team may need to find surveillance videos, eyewitnesses, and accident reconstruction expert testimony. And the more time that passes, the harder it is for personal injury attorneys to track down this vital evidence.
In 2014, there were 6,268 accidents involving taxi cab drivers.7
5. What if the crash involved an Uber or Lyft?
Nevada laws involving ride-sharing accidents are a little different than those for taxi crashes.
If you get hurt as an Uber or Lyft passenger, the company’s $1 million insurance policy will always cover you. But if you are driving and then hit by an Uber or Lyft, then which insurance policy covers you (the company’s or the driver’s) depends on the circumstances of the case.8 Learn more in our article about bringing Uber of Lyft lawsuits in Nevada.
Injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a taxi? Our Las Vegas taxi cab accident attorneys for legal advice. We will fight for all the fair compensation you are entitled to under Nevada personal injury law.
Our Las Vegas personal injury lawyers’ contact information is on this page, or else submit a contact form. Our Las Vegas, NV law firm takes accident cases throughout Nevada.
Legal References
- See, for example: Las Vegas Star Taxi v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. (1986) ; Saylor v. Arcotta (2010) . See also, Dalton LaFerney, Woman, 21, dies after being hit by taxi in central Las Vegas, Las Vegas Review-Journal (February 23, 2020). See also, Bryan Callahan, Taxi involved in serious crash on Vegas Strip, KTNV-13 (May 5, 2016).
- NRS 41.085.
- NRS 42.005
- NRS 706.305.
- NRS 41.141.
- NRS 11.190.
- Nevada Taxicab Authority.
- See Uber insurance policies; also see Lyft insurance policies.