Las Vegas Taxi Accident Lawyer

Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers of Las Vegas

If you have been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or any other accident, you need the services of a dedicated Las Vegas personal injury law firm to ensure that your rights are protected.

Liable Parties for a Taxi Accident

Liability in a taxi accident can often be difficult to determine. While taxi drivers themselves are frequently believed to be negligent parties, taxi companies can also be liable in certain cases.

Many motor vehicle accidents can stem from the negligence of other drivers, so it is possible that a third party could bear liability in these cases. It can also be possible that a vehicle manufacturer is liable for faulty parts, or a governmental entity may be liable for dangerous roadway conditions that caused an accident.

Possible Damages in a Taxi Accident Case

When a person involved in a taxi accident seeks financial compensation for their injuries, it is known as damages. Compensatory damages is the term for money that is intended to restore a person to their original condition, and damages are usually divided into economic damages and noneconomic damages.

Economic damages are kinds of verifiable losses. They often include:

• Medical treatment costs
• Ambulance transportation costs
• Hospitalization costs
• Nursing care costs
• Follow-up medical care costs
• Property damage
• Medication costs
• Lost wages

Noneconomic damages are not quantifiable. They often include:

• Loss of bodily functions
• Mental trauma (depression, anxiety, flashbacks)
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability
• Physical pain
• Disfigurement
• Emotional anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering
• Reputation and humiliation damages

When a taxi accident causes a wrongful death, then damages could also involve:

• reasonable funeral and burial expenses
• medical expenses resulting from a deceased person’s final injury
• lost wages and benefits a deceased person would have been able to earn if they had lived
• loss of companionship, comfort, care, and affection of the deceased person
• survivors’ grief or sorrow
• any pain, suffering, or disfigurement the deceased experienced before death

Punitive damages or exemplary damages are a far rarer kind of award. Under NRS § 42.005, punitive damages are awarded in cases in which negligent parties engage in oppression, fraud, or malice. NRS § 42.005 establishes that punitive damages cannot be more than three times the amount of compensatory damages awarded to a person if the amount of compensatory damages is $100,000 or more, or $300,000 when the amount of compensatory damages awarded to a person is less than $100,000. There is no limit on punitive damages if a driver is convicted of DUI.

Nevada Taxi Regulations

Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) § 706.379 establishes that all common or contract motor carriers authorized to operate taxicabs must regularly inspect each vehicle operated and keep a record of the inspection as required pursuant to subsection 5 of NAC § 706.381. Every vehicle must be maintained in conformance with the following standards:

• A system comprising the front suspension needs to be in good repair and proper working order
• The engine and drivetrain, including other parts necessary to connect the engine and drivetrain to each other or to other parts of the vehicle, must be in good repair and proper working order so that, during normal operation, the engine does not die, miss, backfire or show noticeable loss of power.
• The engine, drivetrain, and accessories of the vehicle must not emit loud noises that disturb passengers or distract the driver of the vehicle.
• The vehicle must be equipped with an air filter or adequate flame arrester covering the air intake of the fuel delivery system.
• The vehicle must not pull to the left or the right or tend to drift under normal driving conditions.
• The engine, drivetrain, radiator, and other accessories must not allow a noticeable amount of fluid to leak.
• The engine must not emit an excessive amount of smoke from the crankcase or system for exhaust.
• Each window of the vehicle must be operable, free from obstruction, and afford the driver a view that is unimpaired.
• The linings of the brakes must be of sufficient thickness to prevent the metal portion of the brake shoe or pad from coming into contact with the brake drum or disc. Under normal braking conditions, the vehicle must not pull to the left or to the right, and the wheels of the vehicle must not lock.
• The vehicle must be equipped with systems for heating and air-conditioning that provide passengers with a reasonable level of comfort, and that conform to reasonable standards of efficiency.
• The vehicle must be equipped with seat belts which must be maintained in a clean and operable condition at all times.
• Each taxicab that is placed into service after March 1, 1999, must be equipped with a mirror located on the outside of the front door on the passenger’s side of the taxicab, a bar, rod, or other support to maintain the lid of the trunk of the taxicab in an open position. One end of the bar, rod, or support must be affixed permanently to the taxicab, straps to tie down the lid of the trunk, and windows that are not tinted more darkly than recommended or specified by the manufacturer of the taxicab.
• Each taxicab must be equipped with a lock on each door of the taxicab or limousine that may be operated remotely by the driver of the taxicab or limousine with controls located on the driver’s door or in another location within easy reach of the driver, and a lever, switch, or another device which opens the trunk of the taxicab or limousine from inside the trunk.

Contact Our Las Vegas Taxi Accident Lawyers Today

If you suffered severe injuries or your loved one was killed in any kind of taxi accident in the greater Las Vegas area of Nevada, you will not want to wait to seek legal help with your case. You should know that Cloward Trial Lawyers has a record of success in personal injury cases that includes over $200 million recovered for our clients as well as a success rate that is more than 99 percent.

Our firm handles all of these cases on a contingency fee basis, so you will not have to pay us one dime until we win or settle your case. You can call (702) 605-5000 or contact our Las Vegas taxi accident attorneys online to arrange a free consultation.