San Diego Taxi Accident Attorney

Taxi Accident Attorney in San Diego, CA

Any traffic accident can cause significant pain, life disruption, and expense. But getting hurt in an accident involving a taxicab can also inject complications into the process of seeking compensation for your injuries. Rawlins Law can help. Contact experienced San Diego taxi accident attorney Ashley Rawlins and her team today for a free consultation.

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San Diego Taxi Accident Guide

Frequent Contributing Factors in Taxi Accidents
Your Rights to Compensation as a Taxi Accident Victim
The Critical Role of Insurance in a Taxi Accident Case
Tips for After a Taxi Accident
Contact an Experienced Taxi Accident Lawyer Today

Meet Attorney Ashley Rawlins (a.k.a. Car Crash Ash®)

Born and bred in a small New England town, Ashley Rawlins knew from a young age that she wanted to be an attorney who would do right by her clients, even when the going got tough. Ashley is a lifelong athlete who understands the value of grit, determination, and fighting the good fight. And that’s what she’s been doing ever since she arrived in San Diego to begin practicing law.

Ashley founded Rawlins Law to help injured people get the justice and fair compensation they deserve when someone else’s wrongful actions do them harm. Practicing law in San Diego with a focus on car accidents, Ashley regularly sees the damage and turmoil a crash involving a taxicab can cause.

She works tirelessly to secure maximum compensation for injured taxi accident victims—passengers, motorists, taxi drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists alike. Her recent case results include a $100,000 settlement on behalf of a cabbie who sustained injuries in a rear-end collision, for example.

Taxi Accidents Take a Heavy Toll

More than 850 taxicabs operate in the San Diego area, according to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).

At any given moment, one of those taxis could crash, causing harm to:

Taxi passengers
Taxi drivers
Occupants of other vehicles
Pedestrians
Motorcyclists
Bicyclists

Victims of taxi accidents commonly suffer a wide range of injuries.

At Rawlins Law, we represent clients who have sustained all manner of crash trauma, including:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Spinal cord injuries (SCI)
Crush injuries and blunt force trauma
Traumatic amputation or loss of use of limbs and appendages
Facial trauma, including lacerations and loss of eyesight
Internal organ damage
Nerve damage
Back, neck, and shoulder injuries
Broken bones and orthopedic injuries

Our team can also represent surviving spouses and family members of individuals who tragically die in taxi accidents. No matter what type of harm you suffered due to a taxi accident in the greater San Diego area, contact us to learn how we can advocate for you.

What Are The Frequent Contributing Factors in Taxi Accidents?

Numerous factors can contribute to the cause of a taxi accident. But many spring from aspects of driving a cab and operating a taxi business. Here are some of the taxi industry-related factors that frequently play a role in triggering a taxi accident.

Distracted Driving

Any action that takes a motorist’s eyes away from the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the job of driving safely, constitutes distracted driving. Distraction behind the wheel is a common problem affecting taxi drivers, whose jobs require them to scan the roadside for passengers and unfamiliar addresses. Cabbies also frequently interact with their dispatchers through phones or apps, drawing their attention away from the road and posing an accident risk.

Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. It causes impairments like slow reaction times, blurred vision, poor decision-making, and difficulty judging speed and distance. Many cab drivers suffer from the dangerous effects of fatigue, increasing their risk of getting into an accident.

Taxis operate at all hours, with some of their busiest moments happening in the evening or early morning. And driving a cab can also be a stressful and physically taxing job.

Speeding and Aggressive Driving

Cabbies frequently drive fast and aggressively. They earn money by carrying as many fares as possible over the course of a shift. This gives them the incentive to complete rides quickly and to hustle to get to their next pickup spot. Unfortunately, speeding and aggressive driving also materially increase the chances of a taxi getting into a dangerous accident.

Mechanical Failures

Taxicabs take a lot of abuse. Cabbies drive them hard, and they frequently operate in stop-start traffic that puts significant wear on their brakes and transmissions. Although regulations require operators to keep cabs in good working order, hard driving routinely puts cabs at risk of suffering mechanical breakdowns that pose accident risks.

Your Rights to Compensation as a Taxi Accident Victim

California law entitles you to demand compensation for the trauma and losses you sustained in a taxi accident caused by someone else’s wrongful conduct. Rawlins Law represents taxi crash victims in insurance claims and lawsuits seeking that compensation. We strive to identify all parties who might owe you damages and to maximize the amount you can claim as damages.

Parties Who May Owe You Money for Your Taxi Accident Injuries

Every taxi accident case Ashley Rawlins handles involves a unique story of pain and loss. One of Ashley’s most important roles in representing a taxi crash victim involves investigating the details of what happened and identifying everyone who deserves to bear at least some of the blame. Multiple parties (and their liability insurance carriers) may have a legal obligation under California law to pay damages to a taxi accident victim.

They might include, for example:

A cab driver who caused a crash while driving tired or distracted
A cab company that failed to maintain its fleet in safe working condition
Another motorist whose wrongful actions behind the wheel caused a crash
A manufacturer of defective vehicle parts that malfunctioned and triggered an accident
A government agency or contractor responsible for causing unreasonably dangerous road conditions that contributed to the cause of a taxi crash.

These are just a few examples. Connect with Attorney Ashley Rawlins today to learn who might owe you money for the injuries you or your loved one suffered in a taxi accident.

Potential Compensation You Might Claim

California law also entitles you to pursue compensation for the full range of harm you suffered in a taxi accident. At Rawlins Law, we work closely with our clients to understand the full impact of their taxi cab crash injuries and ensure any action we take for their benefit seeks the maximum damages allowed by law.

Ashley can often pursue claims seeking payment for:

Medical expenses in treating taxi accident injuries
Out-of-pocket costs for non-medical goods and services you need to manage your injuries
Costs for repairing or replacing a damaged vehicle
Lost earnings and benefits from missing work
Paid time off used while out of work
Loss of earning ability
Physical pain and emotional suffering
Daily inconvenience and disruption
Diminished quality of life
Scarring and disfigurement

Ashley can also sometimes seek an award of punitive damages from a California court when a taxi accident happened because of someone’s extreme or intentionally harmful conduct. Talk to her today to learn more about the types and amounts of compensation you might claim after getting hurt in a taxi accident.

Taxi Accident Wrongful Deaths

Some taxi accidents tragically inflict fatal injuries. In those cases, Rawlins Law can represent surviving spouses, domestic parties, and family members in wrongful death lawsuits seeking compensation from the at-fault party. Of course, Ashley understands that no amount of money can replace a life cut short. But the funds she can recover on behalf of grieving families can often provide critical financial support that allows them to pay their expenses and plan for the future. Contact Ashley today to learn about how she can help after a tragic fatal taxi accident.

The Critical Role of Insurance in a Taxi Accident Case

If you suffered injuries in a taxi accident, chances are you will turn to insurance to cover at least some of your costs. You may carry your own health insurance that covers some medical bills, for example, and auto insurance to pay for repairs to your damaged vehicle. The party at fault for the taxi accident may also carry liability insurance that should pay for your damages.

In many taxi accidents, the liability insurance covering the taxi cab may offer you significant financial protection. All San Diego cabs, for example, must carry at least $350,000 in liability coverage. That insurance serves to pay the damages of victims of taxi crashes, but only when a cab driver or cab company bears the blame for what happened.

The potential availability of taxicab liability insurance can make determining the cab driver’s or cab company’s role in a taxi accident critical to achieving full compensation in your case. A skilled taxi accident lawyer like Ashley Rawlins knows how to analyze taxi accidents to identify when cabbies and cab companies are at fault and when their large liability insurance coverage should cover a victim’s damages.

How Ashley Rawlins Can Help Taxi Accident Victims

Attorney Ashley Rawlins has the experience, determination, and resources to get you paid for your taxi accident injuries. She understands the stress and difficulty you face after getting injured in a taxi crash, and fights to maximize your compensation.

The steps Ashley might take on behalf of a taxi accident victim like you can vary, but she’s generally prepared to:

Act quickly to locate key evidence and preserve your rights
Investigate your taxi accident to identify at-fault parties
Analyze insurance coverages to determine when, whether, and how much insurance companies must pay
Answer your questions and advise you on important decisions
Prepare and file insurance claims and lawsuits seeking damages from at-fault parties and their insurers
Negotiate settlements with insurance adjusters and defense lawyers
Counsel you about when to agree to a settlement and when to keep fighting
Go to trial to present your case to a San Diego area judge and jury
Collect every last penny owed to you by at-fault parties and insurance companies

Ashley also understands that taxi accident injuries can put you under severe financial strain. That’s why she routinely represents taxi crash victims like you on a contingent fee basis—an arrangement in which her fee consists only of a percentage of any money she secures on your behalf. If she doesn’t win for you, you owe her nothing.

Tips for After a Taxi Accident

If you or someone you love suffered injuries in a taxi accident, it’s critical to keep in mind that your post-accident actions can have significant legal and financial consequences. Following these two tips can protect your rights.

Get Medical Help and Follow Doctor’s Orders

Go to the doctor for a checkup as soon as possible after getting into a taxi accident, even if you think your injuries were only minor. Some severe trauma does not show symptoms immediately but could worsen and threaten your health and life if not treated promptly.

Plus, by seeking medical help, you can protect your legal right to compensation by ensuring complete documentation of your injuries in the form of medical records. A lawyer can often use those records to prove your claim for damages.

Don’t Agree to a Quick Settlement

The taxi company’s insurance company (or an insurer representing some other at-fault party) might offer you a quick financial settlement for your taxi accident injuries. Do not agree to it, and do not sign anything. Quick settlement offers rarely pay you the amount you’re owed, and if you agree to them, you could lose your rights to receive full compensation in the future.

Leave all negotiations of your taxi accident claim to an experienced lawyer like Ashley Rawlins, who can protect your rights and pursue the most money possible on your behalf.

Contact an Experienced Taxi Accident Lawyer Today

ashley_new — San Diego Taxi Accident Lawyer, Ashley Rawlins

Attorney Ashley Rawlins understands that getting hurt in a taxi accident can upend your life. But that doesn’t mean you have to bear the burden of healing and paying for your injuries on your own. If someone else’s wrongful actions caused the taxi crash, you may have the right to receive significant financial compensation.