Cabs in New York do not have the best reputation for safety, especially when it comes to accidents with pedestrians. If you were involved in a taxi accident, whether as a passenger, as a pedestrian/biker, or as the driver of another car, it is important to know what to do next and what steps to take in the days after the accident.
Immediately following a taxi accident, you should report the accident by calling 911 and requesting an ambulance and police response. If you are injured and need to leave in an ambulance, follow all medical recommendations and leave with the EMTs. If you are able to stay at the scene, collect evidence to start building your case. In the following days, call a lawyer.
For a free review of your taxi accident case, call The Martello Law Firm’s Mount Vernon car accident lawyers as soon as you can. Our number is (914) 685-6950.
Steps to Take Immediately After a Taxi Accident
There are important steps to take right away after a taxi accident. Delaying any of these steps could hurt your chances of succeeding in a taxi accident lawsuit later. Some of these steps require you to collect evidence. Save all evidence and information that you collect and deliver it to your New York taxi accident lawyers.
Call 911
The first thing to do after a taxi accident is call 911. You will be able to request emergency medical treatment if you or anyone else in the accident was injured. You will also be able to request that a police officer come to the scene and make a report of the accident. This will help later as proof that the accident happened in the first place and as proof of who was involved, where it took place, etc.
Seek Medical Care
If you are too injured to stay at the scene of the accident, follow all medical recommendations from the EMT and seek medical treatment at a hospital. Typically, you will need to go to a hospital rather than a private doctor or urgent care clinic because of how the accident will be billed to your car insurance. Do not delay treatment or you could be accused of worsening your injuries. Also, follow up with all recommended treatments for the same reasons.
If the only treatment you need is first aid at the scene, accept that treatment. Later or in the following days, follow up with your doctor and seek immediate care if new injuries become apparent.
Collect Evidence
In any auto accident case, you’ll want to collect information about who was involved, what vehicles were involved, and where the crash took place. You should also take notes on the lighting, weather, and road conditions. Also, get contact info for everyone involved in the crash and any eyewitnesses. Lastly, gather the insurance information for all drivers, take note of the taxi company the driver works for, and get the taxi company’s contact and insurance info as well.
If you were in your own car when a taxi hit you, you might have a notepad in your glove compartment for exactly this sort of situation. If you were on foot or riding in a taxi, you might not have anything to take notes with. If you have your cell phone, you can use this to snap pictures of driver’s licenses, insurance cards, and more. You can also use your notes app to take other notes.
Steps to Take in the Days After a Taxi Accident
Once the immediate aftermath of a taxi accident is done, there are additional follow-up steps to take. Many of these steps can actually be handled by your New Rochelle car accident attorney, but some steps you will have to take on your own.
Get Follow-Up Medical Care
If you were scheduled for additional medical appointments, such as consultations with specialists or physical therapists, you should keep those appointments. Any gaps in medical care can be used against you to say that you let your injuries get worse. It is vital to “mitigate damages” by seeking medical care, keeping all appointments, and following through with the medical advice you are given.
Get a Police Report
The officer that responded to your accident will have to file a police report for the crash. This should have all of the information about who was involved, what happened, where the accident took place, and more. This report will be important to your Westchester car accident lawyer, who can use the info to start building your case.
Collect Additional Evidence
There may be additional evidence to collect in the days after the crash. Fortunately, your lawyer can handle most of the additional evidence collection for you after your crash.
Your attorney may be able to send letters requesting that nearby security camera footage be preserved for use in your case. We can also start collecting statements and depositions from witnesses and others involved in the crash while the crash is fresh in their minds.
Call a Lawyer
Your attorney cannot begin working on your case until you retain their services. Our White Plains car accident attorneys offer free case reviews where we can discuss your case, let you know what other steps to take, and discuss accepting your case.
The earlier you contact your lawyers, the earlier they can begin work on your case. Building a case often takes time, and there is a limited amount of time available before your case needs to be filed. C.V.P. Law § 214 gives you 2 years to file your case, but it is generally better to file your case much sooner. This will ultimately give you time to correct any filing issues, but it will also potentially mean ending your case sooner and getting you damages sooner.
We can also advise you as to any insurance claims you will need to file and help you file them. Negotiations with taxicab companies for accidents can take a long time, so it is best to get started as soon as you can by calling a lawyer in the days following a taxi accident.
Call Our NY Taxi Accident Lawyers Today
For a free case review, contact The Martello Law Firm’s Yonkers car accident attorneys right away. Our phone number is (914) 685-6950.
