While Taxi and Limousine usage have decreased with the rise of ride share apps such as Uber and Lyft, if you find yourself in an accident, consider a lawsuit loan with Provident. Taxi and limo drivers all work under larger companies and as such, they have big insurance policies. Therefore, your personal injury claim will likely have a large settlement if
However, like most companies with big insurance policies, they will do whatever they can to try and lessen the payout. This is where legal funding from Provident would be most beneficial. Like most personal injury cases , taxi and limo accidents can be devastating, and therefore a pre settlement loans can help you make ends meet until you reach your settlement.
Approval factors
There are several factors that influence the likelihood of receiving taxi/limo lawsuit loans. After you make a personal injury claim and have acquired a
Liability
Is there clear liability in the accident? Liability is defined as who is at fault for the accident. Depending on the state that you live in, the conditions for liability differ.
For example, some states assert that if someone is 51% or more at fault for the accident, they cannot seek funding. This is why it is important to know what kind of liability state you live in.
In a taxi or limo accident, there are two potential parties responsible for the accident:
- The driver of the vehicle you are in
- A different vehicle
Depending on who is found liable for the accident, the coverage will vary.
Insurance
Does the party who is liable have insurance? If the taxi or limo driver is liable, they will have company insurance. This means that they will have a lot of insurance coverage. However, if it was a passenger vehicle responsible, you can only seek recovery within their policy limit.
If a passenger vehicle is responsible for the accident, their policy limit sets how much in compensation you can receive.
If the individual does not have insurance coverage then we cannot help you.
Damages
How much surgery you have had will influence how much funding you can receive. For example, if you have had extensive surgery then your case will be worth more. As a result, you qualify for more in funding. This is because Provident can give you an advance of 15-20% of your total potential payout.
However, if you have had little to no surgery, then your case is not as strong and you don’t qualify for as much in funding.
National statistics and common causes
Due to the popularization of rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft, taxi usage has decreased across the country. Therefore, the data that we present is based in New York, one of the last major cities to use taxis enough to warrant crash statistical data.
Below we have listed some statistics about the frequency of taco and limo accidents:
- In 2019 there were a total of 50,151 taxi and limo accidents in New York alone. Since the beginning of 2020, there have been a total of 8,552 taxi and limo accidents.
- Of the 50,151 taxi and limo accidents in New York, a total of 10,734 of them caused moderate to severe injury to passengers.
- Of the 50,151 crashes total, 572 of them referred to limousines in particular. The remaining were Taxi accidents.
It’s important to note that these accidents are only licensed taxis and limousines. Any unlicensed limousine or taxi is not reflected in this data.
Common causes
Below we have listed some of the most common causes for taxi and limo accidents. Generally, taxi and limo accidents have the same causes as general car accidents, this includes:
- Speeding – driving over the speed limit, causing accidents
- Tire failure – the tire defects in some way, resulting on accident
- Drowsy driving – falling asleep while at the wheel
- Poor weather conditions – rail, hail, sleek snow, extreme heat all increase chances of accident
- Dangerous highway conditions – the highway or street has debris or other deadly material that can cause an accident
- Intoxicated driving – when driving under the influence of alcohol
Insurance companies
Similar to semi trucks, taxi and limo companies have to have large insurance policies because they both deal with transporting large numbers of people. As a result, when you are in an accident in either a taxi or limo, you have two potential companies you can go after.
If the driver is found liable, it is very likely the insurance company will attempt to low ball you. Low balling is when an insurance company offers an initial settlement, that is much lower than what the plaintiff would receive in court. The purpose of this is so the insurance company can save as much money as possible.
It is important to note that when dealing with big insurance companies, you do not accept any initial settlement offers unless you have discussed it with a lawyer prior.
Shared payout
If the passenger vehicle is at fault for the accident, every individual in the taxi or limo is subject to the policy limits that driver has. This means that if you are in a limousine with 10 other people, it is likely that each of you will only receive a small amount of compensation to cover any injuries.
This is because the max you can receive in compensation is linked directly to how much coverage the other driver has. If they have a low policy limit, you will have to split that sum by the number of people who were injured in the accident. This becomes even more complicated when you factor in medical expenses.
For example, if there are 10 people in the limousine, all of whom are injured, and the at fault driver only has 30,000 as a policy limit, all parties will only be able to receive 3,000 in total. This can be difficult, because depending on where the impact was, each passenger will have a different severity of injury. One victim may have medical bills that are 5k in total, and another may have injuries that incur 15k in medical expenses.
What to do after a taxi or limo accident
Below we have listed the steps you should follow immediately after the accident. It is important to remember these steps if you are in any accident. Have them written down on a note in your car if you can, because in the moment it may be difficult to remember.
Medical attention
Immediately after the accident seek medical attention. Even if there are no immediate symptoms, there may be a serious injury. After the accident you should call an ambulance to escort you and your party to the hospital.
Evidence
If you are not severely injured and can still move freely, take photos of the screen and call the police. The police will have to write a report about the incident which will make your case stronger.
If possible, you’ll want to collect the following about the limo/taxi driver and other vehicle driver:
- Name
- Contact information
- Insurance carrier
- License plate number
- Limo/taxi driver company name and number
You’ll additionally want to get the following information from witnesses
- Witnesses names
- Witness contact information
- Record witness statement if possible
Statement
If you can, you are going to want to get statements from everyone involved. Record them on your phone, and if you do not have a phone take very detailed notes.
When you record your own view of what happened, be sure to be as concise and honest as possible. If you do end up having to go to trial, you don’t want something you said to be held against you.
Can legal funding from Provident get you a larger settlement?
Legal funding can absolutely help you get a larger settlement. If the limo or taxi driver is found at fault for the accident, then the company will have to cover all of the injuries and damages sustained as a result of the accident.
As stated earlier, the insurance company will attempt to low ball you as a way of avoiding a high pay out. This is especially true if you are injured and unable to work as a result. Sadly, bills and the cost of living do not go away because you have been in an accident. Insurance companies know this, which is why they will attempt to get you to settle as quickly as possible.
However, with a cash advance from Provident, you will be able to reject the low settlement offer because you will be able to meet your financial obligations. Your attorney will have longer to fight your case, which in turn will lead to you receiving a larger settlement.
Is lawsuit funding from Provident like a traditional loan?
While lawsuit loans and traditional loans both have the word ‘loan’ in them they are not the same thing. Traditional loans are meant to be repaid no matter what. Additionally, traditional loans typically have something known as ‘compounding’ interest rates. Compounding rates means they charge you.
What to do if another company has offered you legal funding
If another company has offered you legal funding, make sure you send us the contract. At Provident we promise we can beat any legal funding contract you send us by offering better rates.
Most legal funding companies offer compounding rates monthly! This means you are being charged every month on accumulated rates. This means that after only a year, you could potentially end up having to pay back over 100% in rates.
At Provident we do not do this. We offer simple non-compounding rates that are only charged once every 6 months. If you send us a contract we can match it and offer the lowest rates possible
Provident
Here at Provident we want to help you after this tragic accident. With the cash advance from us, you will be able to receive a larger settlement. With our low rates, you’ll be able to keep as much of your settlement as possible.