To make a taxi accident claim you must have been injured in an accident which was not your fault. The accident may have been caused by the driver of the taxi or by another road user. In either instance, to make a claim you must show how negligence occurred. Taxi accident claims may deal with incidents involving taxis, private hire vehicles, minicabs and those booked through apps.
Important Points
- In 2020 there were 298,000 licensed taxi and private hire vehicles in England.
- In 2017, 516 collisions in London involved a taxi.
- You could claim compensation as a taxi driver, passenger or other party if the accident was not your fault.
- You may be compensated for your injuries and related financial losses.
- A solicitor from our panel could help you to claim through a No Win No Fee agreement.
Get in touch with our team to claim compensation for an accident on public transport.
- Call us now on 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us via our online form.
- Tell a member of our team what happened to you using our online form.
Jump To A Section
- Who Can Make How To Make Taxi Accident Claims?
- How Much Compensation Can I Get For A Taxi Accident?
- What Is The Taxi Accident Claims Time Limit?
- Taxi Accident And Injury Examples
- What Taxi Injury Claim Evidence Will I Need?
- How Can Public Interest Lawyers’ Advisors Help Me?
- Learn More
Who Can Make How To Make Taxi Accident Claims?
Parties such as passengers, drivers and other road users may be able to make taxi accident claims. In order for any of these individuals to do so, their claim must meet the eligibility criteria.
The criteria that any road traffic accident claim must meet are that:
- A road user (such as a taxi driver) owed you a duty of care. All road users owe each other a duty of care. They must use the roads in a way which keeps themselves and others safe. To do so, they should act in line with the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA) and The Highway Code.
- A road user breached this duty of care. This may be by failing to adhere to regulations in the RTA and/or Highway Code.
- This breach resulted in you being injured.
In the following sections, we look in more detail at when you could make a compensation claim.
I’m A Taxi Driver, Can I Claim For Injuries Caused By Another Road User?
Yes, as a taxi driver, you could claim for injuries caused by another road user. The accident may have involved:
- A vehicle failing to look before exiting a junction and colliding with you.
- An HGV failing to check their mirrors when changing lanes and striking your vehicle.
Who you make a claim against may depend on the circumstances of your accident. If the other driver stops at the scene of the accident and is insured, your claim may be dealt with by the insurance company. If they failed to stop, were untraced or were uninsured, your claim may be made via the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB). This is an organisation paid into by insurance companies and which compensates victims in the aforementioned circumstances.
Will A Passenger Be Able To Claim If They Were Injured Too?
If you were a taxi driver and were carrying passengers at the time of an accident which was not your fault, they may also be able to claim compensation. Again, their claim may be directed against the other road user, or made through the MIB. Which route is appropriate will depend on the circumstances of the accident.
I Wasn’t Wearing A Seatbelt, Can I Still Claim For My Injuries?
You may still be able to claim compensation for your injuries even if you were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. In these cases you may be considered to have contributed towards your injuries. This is called contributory negligence. In essence, by not wearing a seatbelt you either contributed towards your injury occurring or its severity.
In these cases compensation may be impacted in the same way as a split liability claim. These are cases where the claimant contributed towards the accident occurring. The fact that you were not wearing a seatbelt may mean the amount of compensation you are owed is reduced. For example, if you are found to have contributed 50% towards your injuries, your compensation may be reduced by this amount from what you otherwise could have been awarded.
Can I Claim For Road Traffic Accidents Where A Taxi Driver Was At Fault?
You could claim for a road traffic accident where a taxi driver was at fault. The taxi driver may have been speeding, distracted or otherwise have used the roads recklessly. Such claims could be made by:
- Taxi passengers,
- Other motorists and passengers in other vehicles.
- Pedestrians.
You could make a personal injury claim against the driver or taxi company. A minicab or taxi company may be considered at fault if the accident was caused by poor vehicle maintenance.
What About Injuries Caused By The Taxi Driver Themself?
Taxi accident claims could also be made for injuries directly caused by the driver. Personal injury claims could be made in circumstances such as:
- Where the taxi driver trapped your fingers in a door.
- Where they closed the boot lid on your head.
- The driver dropped heavy luggage on your foot.
- A taxi driver ran over your foot.
These are just some examples of when taxi accident compensation claims could be made. Our advisors could help if you have been injured in these, or other scenarios. Please contact one of the advisors for further help and advice on making taxi accident compensation claims.
How Much Compensation Can I Get For A Taxi Accident?
A claimant who sustained a serious injury resulting in tetraplegia (quadriplegia) could be awarded between £396,140 and £493,000 in damages. This would be in line with figures presented in the Judicial College Guideline (JCG). The JCG is a resource which solicitors may use when determining how much compensation a person could be owed in general damages.
General damages are one of the two types of damages which may make up a final settlement. The other being special damages. General damages compensate victims for their physical and psychological injuries.
We have taken further examples from the JCG which are relevant to this guide to create the table below. These figures are not guaranteed and the first figure is an illustration of a total settlement (including special damages).
| Injury | Severity | Guideline Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries, where also awarded special damages. | Severe injuries. | Up to £1,000,000+ if also awarded special damages - such as for lost income and earnings. |
| Paralysis | A - Quadriplegia/ tetraplegia. | £396,140 to £493,000. |
| Brain damage | B - Moderately severe. | £267,340 to £344,150. |
| Neck injuries. | A - Severe (i) | Region of £181,020. |
| Chest injuries. | B - Traumatic chest injury. | £80,240 to £122,850. |
| Back injuries. | A - Severe (ii). | £90,510 to £107,910. |
| Shoulder injuries. | A - Severe | £23,430 to £58,610. |
| Pelvic/ hip injuries. | C - Lesser injury (i) | £4,820 to £15,370. |
| Leg injuries | C - Less serious (ii) | Up to £14,450. |
| Wrist injuries. | D - Soft tissue or fracture taking longer than 12 months to recover from. | £7,420 - £12,630. |
Can I Be Awarded Special Damages For Taxi Injury Claims?
You could be awarded special damages, such as those for lost income, for taxi injury claims. Special damages must be awarded in conjunction to general damages. They are awarded for financial losses relating to your accident and injuries.
You may claim for financial losses such as;
- Loss of income and earnings – your injuries may have prevented you from working at the same level as you did prior to your accident, or may have prevented you working at all. You may be compensated for past and future losses. Depending on how your income was impacted this could form a large part of your payout.
- Medical costs – including the cost of medical care such as hospital treatment, scans, surgery and medication.
- Therapy costs – including the cost of physiotherapy or other therapy as needed.
- Care costs – this could include care in a specialist facility or help in the home, such as domestic tasks or childcare.
- Travel costs – including the cost of getting to and from medical or therapy appointments.
What Are The New Whiplash Tariffs?
In 2021, the Whiplash Reform Program (WRP) was introduced, affecting claims for adult driver and passenger injuries. The WRP is applicable in England and Wales. Under the reforms, whiplash injuries which are valued at £5,000 or less are made following a different claims process. Such injuries are valued using a fixed tariff. This is set by the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Below we present figures from the fixed tariff.
| Injury Duration (months). | Regulation 2 (1) (a) | Regulation 2 (1) (b) - with a minor psychological injury or more than 1 injury. |
|---|---|---|
| 18 - 24 months | £4,125 | £4,345 |
| 15 - 18 months | £3,005 | £3,100 |
| 12 - 15 months | £2,040 | £2,125 |
| 9 - 12 months | £1,320 | £1,390 |
| 6 - 9 months | £840 | £895 |
| 3 - 6 months | £495 | £520 |
| Up to 3 months | £240 | £260 |
Any claims which are valued at more than £5,000 follow the standard claims process. Such whiplash injuries will still be valued in line with the new fixed tariff. The JCG may also be used when valuing injuries which are not included in the tariff. However, if the overall value of the injuries is £5,000 or less and meets the rest of the criteria, the claim will follow the Whiplash Reforms process.
Please contact an advisor to find out which taxi accident claims process may apply to your case. An advisor can also help connect you to a solicitor from our panel.
What Is The Taxi Accident Claims Time Limit?
According to the Limitation Act 1980 the general time limit to make a taxi accident claim is 3 years. This generally starts from the day of the of accidnet. However, 2 such exceptions are taxi accident claims involving individuals lacking mental capacity and those where minors have been injured.
Minors (under 18) are not able to represent themselves in legal proceedings. In cases where a minor has been injured, the time limit will not begin until they turn 18. Prior to this date, a litigation friend (such as a parent, guardian or other family member) may pursue a claim on their behalf.
The time limit may be frozen if the individual harmed does not have the mental capacity to represent themselves. A litigation friend may act on this person’s behalf whilst the time limit is frozen. If they do regain their capacity, the time limit may be reinstated.
Claims must be started within the time limits discussed above. However, they may not be concluded within these time limits. Please contact us to begin your claim or to do so on behalf of someone else.
Taxi Accident And Injury Examples
There are numerous types of taxi accidents and the injuries which they may lead to. Below, we look at some examples of these.
- Rear-end collisions – these types of accidents may be caused by the driver of a following vehicle failing to pay due care and attention. This leads to their crashing into a car, such as at a junction. The impact could cause passenger injuries, such as whiplash.
- Other collisions – collisions could also occur from the front or side. A speeding driver may lose control, and strike a vehicle from the front or a driver failing to pay due care and attention when exiting a junction could collide with the side of another vehicle. Passengers could sustain a variety of different injuries, such as those to the head, back or limbs.
- Sudden braking – a taxi driver may have to brake suddenly to avoid an accident. This may be due to another road user acting recklessly. Braking suddenly could cause a passenger to be thrown back and forth, suffering whiplash, a concussion or lower back pain. The driver may also suffer facial injuries if their head collides with the steering wheel.
- Pedestrian road accidents – a taxi driver may be negligent by failing to pay due care and attention to a person crossing the road. The driver fails to slow down or stop and strikes them. The pedestrian could sustain serious injuries, such as brain damage or spinal injuries.
- Poor road conditions – road defects or faulty traffic lights could cause accidents. Faulty or broken signals could fail to tell a driver to stop. Even proceeding with caution could still result in an accident. In such cases, fault may be split between road users and the party responsible for maintaining the lights.
Contact our advisors for further information on taxi accident claims.
What Taxi Injury Claim Evidence Will I Need?
Your taxi injury claim will need evidence proving who caused the accident, how the accident happened and which shows the injury you sustained.
The greater the body of evidence you can submit in support of your claim, the stronger your claim may be. When you make a claim through the MIB or against a defendant’s insurance company, they will require evidence demonstrating the validity of your claim.
Evidence you may need:
- The taxi driver’s details. This should include,
- Their name and contact details,
- Their insurance details,
- The vehicle’s registration number,
- Their taxi licensing information,
- Photographs of the vehicle’s number plate, the accident scene and of any visible damage to vehicles or injuries.
- The police report. Any car accident causing injury or damage should be reported to the police.
- Dashcam or CCTV footage. This may be secured from the vehicle you were travelling in, whether the taxi or another vehicle. You may also request copies of CCTV which captured the accident.
- Medical records. These will show what injuries you sustained, how they were treated and what (if any) long term impact they will have on you.
- Witness details. You can ask anyone who witnessed the accident take place for their contact details. If you later choose to claim with a solicitor they may ask the witness to provide a statement.
If you choose to work with one of the solicitors from our panel, they could help you to collect evidence in support of your case. Contact an advisor to learn more about how a solicitor could support you.
How Can Public Interest Lawyers’ Advisors Help Me?
If you have been injured in a taxi accident an advisor from our team could help you. When you contact an advisor, they can listen to you and take the details of your case. They could then assess whether you could have a strong claim. If they think that you could, they can then offer to connect you to one of our panel of personal injury solicitors.
We work with a panel of personal injury solicitors who are experienced at helping people claim compensation in a variety of different circumstances. They have decades of combined experience securing claimants their compensation settlement.
If they feel like your claim is strong, they could offer to take on your case under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This allows the solicitor to offer a No Win No Fee service, meaning if you win you will pay a success fee. If you don’t, you are not charged for the solicitors work. The success fee is capped by law and taken as a percentage of your compensation.
Through our panel of solicitors, we offer a nationwide service. They can also help to organise things such as rehabilitation, physiotherapy and further support. Contact one of our advisors today to get guidance on taxi accident claims.
Contact Our Team To Begin A Claim
Please get in touch with our advisors to begin your claim.
- Phone an advisor on 0800 408 7825.
- Complete our online form to contact us.
- Talk to us using our live chat.
Learn More
Here you can find additional resources relevant to taxi accident claims.
- Find out how long a car accident claim may take in this claims guide.
- Read more about how split liability car accident claims work here.
- Learn more about how to claim for a car crash on the motorway in this resource.
References.
- Get road safety advice and information for collisions in this resource from the Police.
- Read more about taxi vehicle licences in this government resource.
- Learn about first aid in this NHS resource.
Thank you for reading our guide to taxi accident claims. For more help and advice, please contact our team.