The busy streets of Brooklyn are filled with buses, pedestrians, cars, cyclists, and taxicabs. Cab drivers typically move through the streets with confidence, but they lean into that confidence too much and switch lanes aggressively or tailgate other drivers. Those actions, as well as careless actions by others, can lead to a Brooklyn taxicab accident.
When you are injured in a taxicab accident caused by someone else’s negligence, get in touch with Tucker Lawyers and speak to a NYC taxicab accident lawyer. The party at fault for the accident leading to your injuries owes you compensation, and a Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer from our team will help you get the settlement you deserve.
Choosing Tucker Lawyers Is the Right Choice
Your attorney’s first order of business will be to conduct a needs assessment. Of course, you have come to Tucker Lawyers team for high-quality legal representation, and you will get that. But we want to support you in every part of your recovery and will help you with your “next steps,” such as following up with medical professionals.
Then, your Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer will start investigating your case and working toward bringing you the successful outcome Tucker Lawyers has secured for other clients.
How a Brooklyn Taxicab Accidents Lawyer from Tucker Lawyers Can Help
As New Yorkers, attorneys at Tucker Lawyers are committed to providing justice for our fellow New Yorkers. Pursuing a personal injury claim after a Brooklyn taxicab accident can be stressful. Our goal is to remove some of your stress by managing your case and getting you compensation for the losses you have sustained.
Your Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer will be attentive to your needs and ready to answer your questions, and will then investigate your accident to identify who is at fault, compile evidence to prove your case, and negotiate a just settlement.
New York’s Car Accident Fault Laws
Drivers in New York State must fulfill minimum insurance requirements. One requirement is to purchase a personal insurance protection (PIP) policy. Since New York is a no-fault state, when car accidents happen, you rely on your own PIP to cover your losses, even if you are not at fault for the accident.
PIP covers:
- 80% of lost wages for up to three years and up to $2,000 each month
- Medical expenses for “reasonable and necessary” care related to the accident-caused injuries
- Additional reasonable and necessary expenses related to the accident, perhaps for transportation to medical appointments or to pay for childcare you can no longer perform on your own
- Death benefits of up to $2000 for family members of a victim killed in an accident.
Though you might expect your insurance to give you the funds you deserve without a fight, that rarely happens, even when your adjuster is “a nice person.” Insurance companies want to profit, and the less they pay out, the more profit they keep. So how do you get the coverage you need?
And what do you do if your injuries and losses are far more costly than what your PIP covers?
Partnering with a Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer is the answer to both questions. Your attorney will not let your insurance company deny you fair compensation, and if your losses are severe, it will help you pursue an injury claim against the party responsible for the accident.
Different Types of Bronx Taxicab Accidents
You can be involved in a taxicab accident in Brooklyn as a passenger in the cab, a cab driver, a driver or passenger in another vehicle, or as a pedestrian. Whatever form your involvement takes, put yourself in the best position to collect a fair settlement by securing representation from a taxicab accident attorney in Brooklyn. Your attorney will know what compensation you are entitled to and how to ensure you receive it.
For example, New York City (NYC) cab drivers must carry liability insurance of $100,000 for individuals and $300,000 for all people affected by an accident. Cab drivers are typically employees of taxi operators, so in some situations, that taxi company’s insurance policy may play a role in compensating you. Sometimes, other drivers cause your accident through their own errors or recklessness.
When your injuries are severe enough to warrant a claim against a third party, your attorney will identify which party or parties’ insurance to file against. This principle applies to cab drivers as well as passengers, and to pedestrians whose PIP is not enough to cover their needs and provide justice.
Determining Negligence and Defining Fault in a Brooklyn Taxicab Accident
There are four elements of negligence you, as the plaintiff, must prove about the defendant, the party at fault for the accident. You cannot collect a settlement without proving these elements.
Working on your own without resources or a legal background makes it difficult to prove these elements. But you do not have to work alone. Once you partner with a Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer from Tucker Lawyers, your attorney will use their skills, experience, and connection to compile comprehensive evidence and develop a strategy to prove your claim.
The four elements of negligence your attorney will prove are:
- Duty of care: You must show the at-fault party was legally obligated to behave in ways that preserve your safety. Every driver owes all those sharing the roads a duty of care. For example, drivers must follow traffic laws and avoid driving under the influence.
- Breached duty of care: You must show the at-fault party breached, or failed to fulfill, their duty. Taxicab drivers who speed or cut other drivers off, or other drivers who do the same, have breached their duty.
- Causation: You must show the at-fault party’s breach of duty caused the accident that led to your injuries
- Damages: You must show the injuries and consequences sustained in the accident cost you quantifiable damages.
New York’s Pure Comparative Fault System
Though New York state requires drivers to carry PIP and follows a no-fault system for car accident cases, when victims’ losses are severe enough, they can file third-party claims. The rules for these claims follow a pure comparative fault system.
Under pure comparative fault laws, accident victims can file injury claims no matter how much fault they bear for the accident. The amount of their compensation, however, is lowered according to their percentage of fault. If the court determines the plaintiff holds 40% of the blame, that victim can receive 60% (40% less) of the calculated settlement amount.
Though you may be convinced of the at-fault party’s complete liability–and you may be right–that party will fight against claims of negligence and will do their best to cast blame on you or anyone else to lower their payout. For this reason, a partnership with a Brooklyn taxicab accident attorney is critical to your case outcome.
Collecting Compensation for Damages Sustained in a Brooklyn Taxicab Accident
A settlement provides financial compensation for the damages or losses you sustain from a Brooklyn taxicab accident. It is easy for victims to underestimate those losses, which is another reason it is so important to connect with a skilled attorney.
Through careful assessment and consultation with others relevant to your case, your attorney will demand a settlement adequate for covering your tangible and intangible losses.
Tangible Losses
Tangible losses come with a clear price tag and have a direct effect on your financial well-being. These losses include:
- Costs for medical care, including future needs
- Lost wages or sick days used for recovery time
- Lost future wages and benefits if you cannot go back to work
- Value of property destroyed in the accidents or costs to repair damaged property
- Any other accident-related expenses, such as costs for hiring others to fulfill childcare, transportation, or household maintenance duties you can no longer fulfill.
Intangible Losses
These losses can be harder to value as they do not come with a bill or direct impact on your finances. However, they are as important as tangible losses and demand acknowledgment. They include:
- Your physical pain
- Your psychological trauma and emotional distress, as caused by the accident and your injuries
- Your diminished enjoyment of and reduced quality of life.
FAQs about Brooklyn Car Accidents
We will always answer your questions before moving forward, and some of the most common questions people ask us include:
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Who is liable for a Brooklyn taxicab accident?
A number of parties can hold liability. Your lawyer will investigate the accident thoroughly to determine who owes you compensation. Responsible parties can include a third-party vehicle operator, the cab driver, the taxi company, negligent vehicle inspectors, negligent pedestrians, or even government entities if poorly maintained roads or broken traffic signals caused the accident.
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Should I accept what insurance companies offer me after a Brooklyn taxicab accident?
Not without speaking to your lawyer first. Insurance companies, even your own, prioritize their bottom line over your needs. Unfortunately, your company and the at-fault party’s company will not hesitate to use unethical means to achieve their goal. They may twist your words against you, accuse you unfairly, or try to intimidate you into accepting less than you deserve.
Do not accept initial offers. Even more, do not speak with insurance adjusters. Leave those discussions to your Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer from Tucker Lawyers and keep your settlement protected.
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How can my attorney value my future medical needs and intangible losses?
The team at Tucker Lawyers has 30 years of experience representing injury clients. Your attorney will speak with medical professionals to calculate the amount of your needs based on your prognosis. Your attorney will carry out discussions with you, your family, friends, and others involved in your life and care to assign a value to your suffering and other intangible losses.
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How much can I expect from a settlement?
Since every accident is unique and causes different injuries and consequences, predicting an amount is not possible. You can rest assured your attorney will evaluate your situation with extreme care and demand a just settlement.
If we have not answered all of your questions, please contact us with your remaining concerns. We are happy to speak with you and provide you with the answers you need.
We Are Here to Fight for You
A Brooklyn taxicab accident can leave you with a pile of bills, extensive physical pain, and a host of worries. Tucker Lawyer is here to help. Visit our contact page to submit an electronic request for a free consultation, or call us at (516) 399-2364. When others are responsible for causing your losses, you can trust a Brooklyn taxicab accident lawyer from our team to help you hold them accountable for a fair settlement.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]