Injuries sustained in taxi accidents in Ireland are a fairly rare event due to the high level of driving skill required to be a taxi drivers. However, because there are so many taxis on the road, it is inevitable that taxi accidents will happen from time to time, and passengers travelling within the vehicles will be injured.
If you have been injured in an accident as a passenger in a taxi, it is possible to claim injury compensation for taxi accidents. However, it may not be the taxi driver against whom the claim is made if your injury was due to the taxi driver making a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a pedestrian or other road user and avert a worse accident.
It may be in your best interests to call our Solicitors Advisory Bureau and discuss the circumstances of the accident with an experienced personal injury solicitor. The solicitor will be able to provide impartial advice on the process for establishing liability in taxi accidents compensation claims and how you should then proceed to resolve your claim for your maximum entitlement to personal injury compensation.
Posted: March 16th, 2017
A woman has been awarded compensation for an injury in a taxi accident, with her status as a musician causing the judge to cite the case as an “exceptional” one.
In March 2012, a woman from Ardnacrusha in County Clare was a passenger in a taxi when it was rear-ended on Wexford Street in Dublin by another taxi. Due to the force of the collision, the woman suffered pain in her neck and right shoulder. She sought medical attention as a result of the accident and was prescribed painkillers for her injury by her GP.
After seeking legal counsel, the woman applied to the Injuries Board for an assessment of her claim. The negligent taxi driver accepted liability for causing the accident and her injuries. However, the amount of the assessment which was initially offered by the negligent party was rejected by the woman, who claimed the proposed settlement of compensation for an injury in a taxi accident did not reflect the full consequences of her injury.
Due to her request for more compensation, the Injuries Board issued an authorisation for the woman to pursue her claim in court. The case was heard at the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin by Mr Justice Raymond Groarke. The judge was informed that the pain in her right shoulder prevented the woman from practising the violin for several hours a day. However, he was also told by the defendant´s insurance company that her injury was unrelated to the accident, as the collision between the two taxis had been “insignificant” to cause the injuries claimed.
Judge Groarke admitted that the medical evidence in the case was “very conflicting” and that on the balance of probabilities the woman would likely made a full recovery from her injury. However, while concluding that the injuries from the accident were “not particularly serious”, the judge acknowledged that the woman needed a perfect shoulder to practise her violin. The woman was described as a “talented musician” in court, and as such it was an exceptional case.
Judge Groarke awarded the woman €25,000 compensation for an injury in a taxi accident, stating he accepted the plaintiff´s belief that the discomfort she suffers is related to the accident between the two taxis.
Posted: August 23rd, 2016
A courier, who was injured in an accident involving a taxi, has received a full five-figure settlement of compensation after a judge ruled that he was not negligent in his actions.
The road accident occurred in March 2015 as Rotimi Omotayo, a bicycle courier, was carrying out a delivery on the Custom House Quay. As he was cycling, a taxi – driven by Kenneth Griffin – pulled out from a lane and knocked Rotimi to the ground.
Fortunately, Rotimi was not previously injured by the accident and was able to return to work a few weeks later. However, after making a claim for compensation to the Injuries Board Ireland, the case was dismissed as Rotimi was believed to have contributed to his injuries. However, the Injuries Board did issue authorisation for the claim to be pursued in the courts. Consequently, a hearing was held at Dublin’s High Court earlier this month, overseen by Mr Justice Bernard Barton.
At the hearing, statements were heard supporting both parties. The court hoped to determine whether or not Rotimi was at fault for his injuries through breaching the Road Traffic Regulations.
Yet, once all testimonies were presented, and it was discovered that by needing to deliver to the “river side” of the quay Rotimi was entitled to cycle in the outside lane before turning. The judge proceeded to dismiss any allegations that the courier was negligent and ruled in his favour.
Judge Barton also commented on a contemporary issue in the courts when he said that he would not use the Book of Quantum in determining the settlement as it was “hopelessly out of date and of little assistance”.
Tort Law was instead applied and Rotimi was awarded €30,000 in general damages for his injuries. However, Judge Barton ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the loss of income claim and discarded the special damages claim. Rotimi, however, was still compensated for his legal costs.
Posted: April 3rd, 2015
Taxi drivers have started to install dashboard cameras to prevent fraudulent car accident claims according to a report in the Irish Mirror.
The report alleges that a significant number of fraudulent car accident claims have been made by members of the public who have deliberately walked in front of – or thrown themselves in front of – slow moving vehicles in Dublin City Centre, in areas where they are sure of not sustaining a serious injury due to the low speed limits.
One taxi driver told the Irish Mirror: “I was almost caught out a few months ago when a man jumped off the pavement in O’Connell Street and landed in front of my taxi. I noticed a man weaving his way in and out of the crowds quite hastily and it just struck me it was suspicious so I started to slow and by the time he had thrown himself out in front of my taxi I had managed to slam on the brakes”.
The taxi driver has since bought a dashboard camera to avoid being held liable for fraudulent car accident claims in the future. He said: “Being on the road all day every day for the past 10 years I thought I had seen it all in terms of scams and dodgy claims ploys but this one takes the biscuit.”
Christy Humphreys from the National Private Hire and Taxi Association contributed to the story in the Irish Mirror by saying; “There’s a lot of this going on and drivers are terrified of falling victim to it. But drivers are reporting people now throwing themselves in front of taxis. Like there’s nearly too much going on to get your head around.”
The lobby group Insurance Ireland has also set up a special committee in a bid to tackle the issue and has identified six locations where there has been a spate of fraudulent car accident claims – the locations being Swords and Tallaght in Dublin, Galway, Cork, the Border region, and Ennis in County Clare.
