You may have the legal right to sue a taxi cab company for wrongful death if:
- your spouse, child, parent or other family member was killed in a crash involving a taxi;
- and the taxi driver was at fault.
This is the case whether your loved one was a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a passenger in the taxi, or the driver or passenger in another vehicle.
Taxi Drivers and Companies are Regulated
Taxi cabs are regulated commercial vehicles, mandated in many municipalities to follow strict public safety guidelines and carry comprehensive insurance to cover personal injury, negligence and wrongful death. When pedestrians are hit by commercial vehicles in roadways, independent investigation is critical to the victim’s rights in civil court.
Next of kin can sue commercial vehicle companies for wrongful death of a loved one. The more evidence you have in your case, the better chance you have of winning a better than average hit-by-taxi settlement. For instance, our attorneys investigated the facts of a bicyclist being fatally hit by a semi-truck. The police report blamed the bicyclist, but we went to trial with the results of our own investigation and won a jury verdict of more than $4 million for the victim’s family. The evidence demonstrated negligence by the truck driver.
When a pedestrian dies in a traffic accident due to the negligence of another, Minnesota law allows the heirs and “next of kin” of the decedent a claim for money damages. This is called a “wrongful death claim.” For legal purposes, the term “next of kin” generally includes the following family members: wife, husband, son, daughter, parent, grandmother, grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew and cousin. The person who brings a wrongful death lawsuit is usually called a “trustee.” He or she is appointed by a judge to sue for compensation on behalf of all of the heirs (spouse and blood relatives) of the person who died.
Grieving the loss of a loved one is difficult enough. Hiring a lawyer to represent your interests provides relief from additional stress related to seeking the justice you deserve. Contact our law firm for a free case consultation.
