On Saturday, September 2nd, 2018, multiple pedestrians were injured after a taxicab collided with a SUV ride-share service vehicle near Navy Pier. The accident, which occurred around 4:30 p.m., was the fault of both drivers, as the ride-share driver was cited for running a red light, and the taxicab driver was issued two citations. In all, eight people suffered injuries that required hospitalization. Fortunately, none of the injuries proved fatal. 

While this latest taxicab accident may come as a surprise to some, taxicab collisions are fairly common throughout the United States. Here in the state of Illinois, taxi accidents occur at an alarmingly high rate. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there were approximately 5,271 taxicab accidents throughout the state of Illinois in 2015 alone. While only three people ultimately suffered fatal injuries in collisions involving taxicabs in 2015, more than 1,000 people (including over 150 pedestrians ) were injured to the extent that they required hospitalization. If you or a loved one is injured in a collision involving a taxi, it is critically important to find a trained legal team to represent your best interests. 

Ensuring Justice for You and Your Family 

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle collision involving a taxi, it is likely that either the taxi collided with your vehicle or you, as a passenger within the taxi, were struck by another vehicle. In both cases, there are a few simple steps you can take to help ensure that you and your family receive the legal compensation you deserve.  

The Chicago metro area and its roads is often a recipe for disaster. Commuters coming in and out of the city, event traffic, and general rush hour disorder contribute to a commotion of congestion, frustration, and, often, exasperation for drivers. One way to avoid such worries is to simply take a cab. It may be easy, but any Chicagoan also knows that the sheer number of taxis on the road significantly contribute to traffic, and that oftentimes, cab drivers are not the most cautious motorists, and many people learn that lesson the hard way. Taxi cabs are not immune from accidents, and some unlucky riders may find themselves involved in a crash while in a cab in Chicago.

Taxi Crash Data Not Readily Available

Despite anecdotal evidence showing that taxi crashes do occur with some frequency, data showing actual accident rates is surprisingly hard to find. A Chicago Police officer and spokesman interviewed by the Redeye indicated that traffic crash reports do not include any check boxes to designate whether any vehicles involved were rideshare vehicles or taxicabs. The narrative portion of the traffic report is more likely to indicate that a vehicle was a taxi, but whether this information is actually included depends on the reporting officer’s level of detail in the report. The license plate portion may also indicate taxis because they have specially issued Illinois license plates, however, without a human eye reviewing every report, there is no way to easily generate metrics showing the percentage of accidents involving taxis.