Throughout this guide, we explore the eligibility criteria that need to be met for taxi accident compensation claims to be valid. Whether you were a passenger in an accident caused by a taxi driver or another road user, a taxi driver injured in an accident that was the fault of another road user or a driver of a vehicle injured due to a taxi driver’s fault, you might be able to claim compensation if the relevant criteria are met.
Later in our guide, we discuss how long you have to submit your taxi accident compensation claim and the exceptions that could potentially apply.
Furthermore, we look at the duty of care road users owe one another and how an injury could be suffered in a taxi accident if this is breached. You can also find guidance on how compensation payouts are calculated for successful road traffic accident claims to address the ways in which your injuries have affected you.
Finally, our guide looks at the benefits of having a No Win No Fee solicitor represent you when you make a taxi accident claim.
For further guidance on road traffic accident claims, please get in touch with an advisor using the details provided below:
- Call on 0161 696 9685
- Contact us online about taxi passenger accident claims
- Use the live chat feature below
Select A Section
- Who Could Make Taxi Accident Compensation Claims?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Taxi Accident?
- Injuries Caused By Taxi Accidents
- Examples Of Payouts For Taxi Accident Claims
- Can You Make No Win No Fee Taxi Accident Compensation Claims?
- Further Guidance On Claiming For Road Traffic Accidents
Who Could Make Taxi Accident Compensation Claims?
As we discussed above, different road users could make taxi accident compensation claims. For example, you could be injured as a passenger in a taxi accident due to the driver or another road user, or you could be the driver of a taxi or another vehicle injured due to the fault of another driver. What is important to remember is that in order to make a personal injury claim, another party must be at fault for your injuries.
Road users owe a duty of care to one another. It requires them to navigate the roads and their vehicles in a way that avoids harm or damage to others and themselves. They can ensure they adhere to this duty by adhering to the rules laid out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
Failure by a road user to uphold their duty of care could lead to a taxi accident. However, in order for taxi accident compensation claims to be valid, the following criteria need to be met:
- You were owed a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- You suffered a physical and/or mental injury as a result of the breach.
Whiplash Injury Claims
The way in which you pursue your claim could differ depending on the injuries you sustained. For example, the introduction of the Whiplash Reform Programme means that adult passengers and drivers of vehicles with injuries valued at £5,000 or less need to make their claim via a different route. If the injuries suffered are valued at more than £5,000, the claim will be made via the traditional route.
Furthermore, if there are any whiplash injuries sustained, these will be valued according to the fixed tariff outlined in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, whether the claim is made via the traditional or alternative route. Any other injuries not included in the tariff will be valued the usual way.
For further guidance on claiming for whiplash injuries after a taxi accident, please contact an advisor on the number above. They can also assess your case and determine whether you’re entitled to claim taxi accident compensation.
How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Taxi Accident?
The time limit for personal injury claims is three years as set out in the Limitation Act 1980. This means you typically need to start legal proceedings within three years from the date of the accident.
There are exceptions that could apply however. For example, if the injured party is a minor, the time limit is paused until they turn 18. The court could appoint a litigation friend, such as a parent, to make the claim on the child’s behalf during this pause. However, if no claim has been started for them by the time they turn 18, they will have three years from their 18th birthday to start legal proceedings themselves.
Similarly, if the claimant has a reduced mental capacity to claim themselves, the time limit is frozen indefinitely. A suitable adult could apply to act as a litigation friend and start the claim on their behalf during this time. Alternatively, if the claimant regains their mental capacity and no claim has been started for them, the time limit will start from the recovery date.
For further guidance on the time limits for taxi accident compensation claims, please contact an advisor using the details above.
Injuries Caused By Taxi Accidents
There are several injuries that could be sustained in taxi accidents. The severity can depend on the nature of the accident itself. However, some examples of injuries and how they could be suffered can include:
- An accident involving another driver crashing into the passenger side of a taxi after failing to stop at red traffic lights causes the passenger to suffer broken bones and a severe head injury. The driver also suffered a neck injury and a broken nose.
- The taxi driver was using their phone while operating their vehicle. As a result, they failed to see traffic slowing down in front of them causing them to crash into the back of another vehicle. This led to the passenger sustaining whiplash.
If you have been injured in a taxi accident due to the fault of another road user, you could be eligible to claim compensation for the ways your injuries have affected you. Call our team on the number above to learn more.
Examples Of Payouts For Taxi Accident Claims
After a successful taxi accident claim, you could be awarded a compensation payout formed of up to two heads of loss. General damages, the first head, will always be awarded if the claim succeeds. This compensates for the pain and suffering of the injuries, physical and/or mental. Special damages, the second head, can be awarded if general damages are awarded. This compensates for the financial losses incurred due to your injuries.
In order to accurately value general damages, you will need to attend an independent medical examination. This will produce a report that details the full extent of your injuries and how they’re likely to affect you in the future. Reference can be made to this report and publications, such as the guidelines from the Judicial College (JCG), to help value your injuries.
The JCG provides a list of injuries with corresponding award brackets. The amounts, some of which are included in the table below, are only guidelines.
The top entry of the table is not from the JCG. Additionally, the bottom two entries are from the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. As mentioned earlier, these are fixed amounts used to value whiplash injuries.
| Injury Type | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries with Special Damages | Severe | A settlement for the pain and suffering of multiple severe injuries and the financial losses caused such as lost income, the cost of home alterations, and medical bills. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Paralysis | Quadriplegia | Paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. The award given will depend on several factors, including where physical pain is present or where there is a significant effect on senses. | £324,600 to £403,990 |
| Paraplegia | Paralysis of the lower limbs. The award given can depend on several factors, including age and life expectancy as well as any depression suffered. | £219,070 to £284,260 | |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | The person shows little to no evidence of having a response to their enviornment that's meaningful. They have poor language function and double incontinence and require full-time nursing care. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Moderate (i) | Moderate to severe deficit of intellect, no employment prospects, and an effect on the senses. | £150,110 to £219,070 | |
| Back | Severe (i) | Spinal cord and nerve root damage causing severe pain and disability. | £91,090 to £160,980 |
| Moderate (i) | Cases involving damage to an intervertebral disc with nerve root irritation and reduced mobility. | £27,760 to £38,780 | |
| Arm Amputation | Loss of One Arm (i) | One arm amputated at the shoulder. | Not less than £137,160 |
| Leg | Severe (ii) | Injuries of a very serious nature causing permanent problems with mobility. | £54,830 to £87,890 |
| Other Arm Injuries | Less Severe | There have been significant disabilities but a significant degree of recovery is made or is expected. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Whiplash | One or more whiplash injuries | More than 18 months, but not more than 24 months | £4,215 |
| One or multiple whiplash injuries with one or multiple minor psychological injuries | More than 18 months, but not more than 24 months | £4,345 |
Further Examples Of Damages
As mentioned, special damages compensates for the monetary damage caused by your injuries. For example:
- Loss of earnings
- Medical costs
- Travel costs
- Care expenses
For further guidance on how much compensation you could be owed for your taxi injuries, please contact our team on the number above.
Can You Make No Win No Fee Taxi Accident Compensation Claims?
If you instruct a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to represent you in the taxi accident claims process, they could help you with gathering evidence to strengthen your claim and ensure it’s brought forward in the relevant time frame. They also have experience handling taxi accident compensation claims and can use their knowledge to guide you through the claims process.
Furthermore, they can offer their services via a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which means you won’t need to pay for their services upfront or as the claim proceeds. You also won’t need to pay for their completed work if the case fails.
If your taxi accident compensation claim succeeds, your solicitor will take a percentage of your compensation as their success fee. This is legally capped to ensure you keep the most of your awarded settlement.
Contact Us About Taxi Accident Claims
If you contact our team, they can assess your case and if they find it’s valid, they could connect you with an expert personal injury solicitor from our panel to represent you under No Win No Fee terms.
Alternatively, they can answer any questions you have about taxi accident compensation claims with no obligation to continue with our services.
To get in touch, you can:
- Call on 0161 696 9685
- Contact us online
- Use the live chat feature below
Further Guidance On Claiming For Road Traffic Accidents
For more of our helpful road traffic accident claims guides:
- A guide discussing how to claim as a pedestrian for a car accident that caused you to become injured.
- Learn how to claim for a fatal road traffic accident on behalf of someone else.
- Discover whether you could make a spinal injury claim after a third party breached their duty of care.
For more external resources:
- Information on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the government.
- Guidance on first aid after an accident from the NHS.
- Helpful road accident statistics from Think!
If you have any further questions, such as about the taxi accident compensation claims process, please contact our team using the number above.