Taxi Car At Night

One thing about the streets of New York City and Long Island is that you will see a lot of cabs, Ubers, Lyfts, and other private transit vehicles. Our roads are notoriously busy, and not everybody has a ride to get from A to B — or one they want to use at the moment.

While rideshares and taxis are convenient, they can pose a problem if you are involved in an accident with one. This accident could occur while you are a passenger, or you could be driving your own vehicle when a cab/rideshare vehicle collides with you. In either case, the procedure you follow should be similar. Take a look at the best steps to take below, and remember that you always have the right to consult with an experienced Long Island taxi/rideshare accident lawyer for advice on seeking compensation.

Always Report Your Accident

One consideration to be aware of after your accident is that the driver of the cab or rideshare vehicle may pressure you to not report the accident to the police. They may try to downplay the amount of damage, convince you you are not injured or make you feel guilty that you will get them in legal trouble. They may even offer you money, favors, etc. to incentivize you not to report the accident.

The bottom line is that without a police accident report, it can be difficult to prove the accident occurred. Not having a police report can make it impossible to seek compensation, and in the meantime, evidence may have disappeared. In addition, know that New York state law requires you to report any accident that results in an injury or more than $1,000 in property damage.

Check on Everyone’s Health Status Before Calling Emergency Services

When you dial emergency services to request a police respondent in order to report the accident, the emergency dispatcher will ask you if anyone is seriously hurt and in need of medical attention. To answer this question accurately, you must first check on everyone’s health and assess your own condition.

Do not hesitate to request an ambulance if you think you or anyone else might have a significant injury. Failing to request emergency evacuation can impact your injury claim later on. Also, know that you have the option to decline transport (an ambulance ride) once EMS has given you an evaluation.

Protect Yourself by Watching Your Statements and Not Accepting Any Offers

After an accident occurs, never admit fault or apologize for a possible mistake you made. Also, avoid speculating on how hurt you might be. Be honest about the amount of pain and debilitation you currently feel, but also keep in mind that many injuries do not appear until hours — or possibly days — after your accident.

Any statements you make as to guilt or your health status can affect your ability to claim full compensation for the costs of your medical treatment.

Similarly, do not make any agreements with the cab/rideshare driver or their company. Consult with an attorney to review such agreements and determine if they adequately compensate you for all of your losses. Doing something like accepting cash and agreeing not to report the accident may not be legally binding, but it can affect the view of the situation from the perspective of an insurer or, potentially, a jury in a civil case.

Document the Accident Scene

Immediately after reporting your accident, start documenting the accident scene. Take photos of the wreckage, the vehicles, your injuries, and any other relevant details, such as nearby landmarks.

It can be easy to forget to document the scene when you were a passenger in a cab/rideshare vehicle, but remember that you have your own responsibility to do so in case the evidence is needed for a future injury claim.

What Forms of Compensation Are Available After a Rideshare Crash or Taxi Accident?

The exact compensation available depends on the location of your crash, the insurance of the vehicle’s driver, the extent of your injuries, and other factors.

No-Fault Insurance

In most situations, your own no-fault insurance policy will pay for the first $50,000 in injury treatment costs, lost wages, and other basic economic losses. Your lost wages claim will be capped at 80% of your lost wages, up to a maximum of $2,000 a month for up to three years. You may be expected to file a no-fault claim prior to any other claims regardless of whether you were a passenger in the for-hire vehicle or if you were involved in a collision with a for-hire vehicle’s driver. If you were a passenger and do not own a vehicle and don’t have a no-fault insurance policy, it is possible that the driver or their employer will have a no-fault policy available to you.

Third-Party Liability Insurance (Filing a Claim Against the Taxi/Rideshare Company)

In the state of New York, you are eligible to pursue a claim against the policy of the vehicle owner if that owner was at fault and your damages exceed the limits of the applicable no-fault policy. This is known as a third-party claim. Importantly, third-party liability claims can provide compensation for pain and suffering after a “serious injury”.

Do Taxis Carry Liability Insurance?

All taxicab companies have a commercial liability policy in place to compensate victims of accidents caused by an employee. If your accident occurred in New York City, local laws require the taxi service to carry at least $100,000 in medical treatment coverage per person injured and up to $300,000 per accident. They may also have an umbrella policy covering up to $1 million in excess damages.

Do Uber, Lyft, and Other Rideshare Services Have Liability Insurance?

Yes. Uber and Lyft provide a certain level of coverage to anyone injured by the driver of a rideshare vehicle if the driver is currently using the rideshare app. The amount of coverage may vary depending on whether the driver currently had a fare, whether they were on their way to pick up a fare, or whether they merely have the app open.

Know that the driver and/or the rideshare company may mislead you as to whether insurance coverage is available for your situation. Review your situation with an attorney, and never sign or declare verbal consent to an agreement related to compensation without first examining the legal consequences.

Always Seek Medical Attention After Your Accident

If you think you may be seriously hurt, do not hesitate to get a full medical exam following your accident. 

Even if you think you aren’t hurt, remember that some injuries may not show up until a few days after your accident.

No matter what, remember that a full medical evaluation provides critical evidence for your possible injury claim. The earlier you get an exam, the better documentation you have of your injuries and their connection to the accident.

Speak With a Long Island Car Accident Lawyer

Commercial drivers and rideshare app users have a strong incentive to avoid the financial and legal consequences of the injuries they cause. If you have been in an accident, you may be misled or pressured into doing something against your own interests. 

To protect your interests, and to maximize the chances of receiving compensation for your injuries, speak to an experienced New York City and Long Island car accident lawyer immediately.

The attorneys at TonaLaw can provide you with a free, no-obligation case review to assess your situation and inform you of what forms of compensation may be available. Call today at 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. 

Remember that there is a time-sensitive notice window for most insurers, so act quickly, and call today!

What Our Clients Are Saying

TonaLawExcellentTonaLaw5.0 Based on 397 reviews fromSee all reviews review us onDavid MottDavid Mott ★★★★★ The help I recieved at TonaLaw was second to none. I am unfamiliar with law and they were able to get me going in the right direction. Thank-YouRose FrancisqueRose Francisque ★★★★★ Kj MuchKj Much ★★★★★ The whole team has been extremely passionate, caring and understanding thru this whole process. This was a first for me. The firm came highly recommended thank you Ralph.Special thanks to Jayda a Ana. Thanks again.RONZA DIGIORGIORONZA DIGIORGIO ★★★★★ I was referred to Tona law by a friend following a horrific accident. Mr. Tona himself called me immediately from his family vacation and set me up with a team of professional , caring people that guided me through my recovery every step of the way. I would give 10 stars if i could !Muhammad KhanMuhammad Khan ★★★★★ Jayda and laureen are so nice and professional and they really helped me from start to finish and they always respond me back. Please get help from tonalaw if you need any in regards to accidents. ThanksRoxana PachecoRoxana Pacheco ★★★★★ My father, seek them out for a case in December and Ana has been fantastic. Ana has reassured all his concerns and has been nothing but amazing with any follow up questions that we have had. Besides being very compassionate, and friendly she’s also bilingual! Definitely would recommend anyone to TonaLaw!Response from the ownerThank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Ana and how she has been able to address all of your concerns with care and professionalism. We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and are here for any further assistance you might need. Best wishes from the TonaLaw team! 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Juliet Accomando directed the project and I found the whole experience to be very professional and well organized. Juliet was receptive to design ideas, responsive to emails and appreciative of our working relationship. It was a pleasure to work with TonaLaw. I look forward to future projects.Response from the ownerThank you so much for taking the time to leave such a fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the experience of creating the newsletter for TonaLaw. We truly appreciate your kind words about Juliet as well. We are equally excited about our upcoming projects! Marina DelfelMarina Delfel ★★★★★ Tona Law has been wonderful and so, so easy to work with! The entirety of my time working with them, their team has been extremely professional, kind and dedicated! I am so happy to have gotten to work with such an amazing team!Response from the ownerWe're incredibly grateful for your kind words about your experience working with Tona Law. Thank you so much Marina! 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MJPT-1MJPT-1 ★★★★★ Working with TonaLaw has been a wonderful experience. The kind staff which I am very pleased with is always professional and attentive. I highly recommend!Response from the ownerYour kind words about our team truly warm our hearts! We strive to provide a professional and attentive experience for every client, and it's so rewarding to know we're succeeding. Thank you for choosing TonaLaw and for the wonderful recommendation! Mitchell YorkMitchell York ★★★★★ Tom Tona and all the professionals at Tona Law have a deep commitment for fighting for what’s right. The firm is relentlessly focused on their clients’ cases, as a matter of empathy and professional pride. The company is process driven and disciplined in everything they do.Response from the ownerThank you for your wonderful 5-star review! Your acknowledgment of our dedication and disciplined approach truly means a lot to us. We remain committed to delivering the best for our clients and are grateful for your trust and support. Vanessa VajkoVanessa Vajko ★★★★★ TonaLaw has an amazing scholarship program opportunity for fellow veterans and incredibly kind people to talk with! The application process was also fairly prompt and seamless. I am so grateful for this scholarship and highly recommend that other veterans get on board with applying. Thank you again!!! :)Response from the ownerThank you for applying to our scholarship and for sharing your experience! It is a pleasure to be able to assist you in your education journey. Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful review and thank you for your service! Jennifer CaceresJennifer Caceres ★★★★★ I highly recommend using tonalaw. Lauren and Jada are amazing. Any questions or concerns I had they answered. I am happy I choose tonalaw .Response from the ownerThank you so much for your review Jennifer! We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with our responsiveness and thoroughness in addressing your questions and concerns. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to providing our clients with the best possible legal representation. Thank you again for your kind words. We are honored to have you as a client. Carlos UmanaCarlos Umana ★★★★★ Excelente atención buena comunicación contestan mis preguntas con sinceridadResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your review Carlos! Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will continue to strive to provide you and all of our customers with the outstanding service you deserve. Yanira Del ValleYanira Del Valle ★★★★★ Mr. Tona is such a wonderful human and attorney. So helpful, without a second thought, he shares his knowledge and experience. He helps makes this Plaintiff community a better one. Thank you!!!Response from the ownerThank you Yanira! It was so great meeting you. Marvin SortoMarvin Sorto ★★★★★ TonaLaw is a very reputable firm. Ana is such a great asset to the firm. She is also bilingual with many years of experienceResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words Marvin! gary gundersengary gundersen ★★★★★ I’ve been to tona law several times already and I’ve had the pleasure to deal with Ana both time and she was amazing. Made sure all paperwork was in order and is super thorough with everything. Highly recommendedResponse from the ownerThank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with us at Tona Law. We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with the services provided by Ana. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality legal representation, and we are always striving to exceed expectations. Jennifer PorterJennifer Porter ★★★★★ Tom Tona puts so much emphasis and effort into developing a fantastic law firm, delivering excellent results for their clients and also staying at the forefront of law firm management skills. I am super impressed by my conversation and interaction with Tom and am happy to recommend him!Response from the ownerJennifer, thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you were impressed with your conversation and interaction with Tom. We strive to provide a positive and supportive experience for all of our clients, and we are so glad to hear you had such a positive interaction with Mr. Tona. Thank you again for your kind words. Janet SowinskiJanet Sowinski ★★★★★ Lauren, one of the paralegals at Tona Law is very knowledgeable, compassionate and very professional. She genuinely cares for her clients and is always willing to go the extra mile to help. Having known her for several years, i can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking great assistance.Carmen SandovalCarmen Sandoval ★★★★★ Quiero darles las gracias por haberme representado en mi caso, felizmente estos abogados lograron ganar ni caso, y estoy muy satisfecha por su gran trabajo, hablan español y la señorita Ana es muy atenta y cordial y amable con sus clientes, muchisinas gracias x sus servicios ademas de ser rapidos, nos ayudan mucho especialmente a las personas qué sólo hablamos español, les recomiendo este servicio de abogados muy honestos. Muchas gracias👌😘Miguel MenaMiguel Mena ★★★★★ Ana is extremely knowledgeable and a great asset to your firm! Definitely will be coming back.Sandie RivasSandie Rivas ★★★★★ Ana is amazing! Working with her was extremely enjoyable. She is a great asset to Tonalaw and always eager to help!Darwin RomeroDarwin Romero ★★★★★ Ana was an absolute pleasure. She was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Highly recommend!Emma SortoEmma Sorto ★★★★★ Ana is a wonderful personal. She is very talented and very hardworking. Best thing is that she is bilingual! Always willing to help anyone who is in need of a hand! You are in great hands at Tona Law!nicole garcianicole garcia ★★★★★ Couldn’t recommend Lauren more!!! I’ve known Lauren for years, she is a dedicated, hard worker and is so professional when it comes to her job. She really cares about her clients and doing the best for them.Dolceprincipessa xoDolceprincipessa xo ★★★★★ I highly recommend Will Ramos as a lawyer. He is a true professional. He explained my options with me and was very accessible & kept me updated! I also had the pleasure of working with Jayden. She was great as well. They assisted with my case and helped me tremendously! Highly recommend :)yessenia lopez ramosyessenia lopez ramos ★★★★★ I have know Attorney Will Ramos for many years. He is very detail oriented, a great advocate, and an empathetic individual.I have referred a few clients during their time of need over to Will and the friendly staff at Tona Law. He is willing to go above and beyond for others.CARLOS RODRIGUEZCARLOS RODRIGUEZ ★★★★★ I have known Will Ramos for 15 plus years and can attest to his character in placing the needs for others above his own. He is an asset to any organization and a team player with positive attitude.Jessica MalaveJessica Malave ★★★★★ I’ve known attorney Will Ramos for 16 years he always places the needs of others above his own. He is a caring man and super understanding and has a big heart.Bianca RamosBianca Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is awesome the law firm is lucky to have someone like him part of their team. He genuinely cares for others and is always willing to lend a helping hand.Response from the ownerBianca, thank you for leaving a wonderful review for our firm. We are lucky to have Will Ramos as part of our team! Arianna RamosArianna Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is nothing short of dedicated and hard working. Each case he works on demonstrates his passion for law and his care for his clients.Response from the ownerThank you for your review, Arianna! Will Ramos has been a wonderful asset to our team. JenneferJennefer ★★★★★ I've had the pleasure of knowing Lauren for quite a while now, and I must say, her dedication to her clients is truly remarkable. She takes immense pride in her work as a professional she seamlessly balances her role at Tona Law, where she's involved in legal matters. Having seen her commitment and skill firsthand, I can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking top-notch assistance.Celine Aubry-DumandCeline Aubry-Dumand ★★★★★ I had a great experience working with TonaLaw.The team was really friendly and helpful throughout the entire process.Response from the ownerCeline, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review for our firm. We are so grateful we were able to help you and provide you with a great experience. Thank you! Adam OmallyAdam Omally ★★★★★ I have known Lauren one of the paralegals at Tona law for many years and she is dedicated to her profession and helping her clients. Wonderful person.Alexandra RandazzoAlexandra Randazzo ★★★★★ Lauren at TonaLaw was extremely helpful! She was so nice and professional. I highly recommend asking for her!Margaret CaschettaMargaret Caschetta ★★★★★ I have known Lauren for a long time and she’s always been dedicated to her job! Excellent at anything she’s ever done.NICOLE GUASTONICOLE GUASTO ★★★★★ Lauren’s great- reliable empathetic the whole package - years of knowing her I wouldn’t ask for anyone elseKeith MaederKeith Maeder ★★★★★ I have known Lauren, one of the paralegals, for many years. Her client first approach is second to none. She is knowledgeable and professional. She as an asset to both her clients and Tona Law.Emily PadillaEmily Padilla ★★★★★ Ana was super professional and very polite! Answered all the questions that was needed! Highly recommend, wish I can give 10 stars!Kailynn ApolinarisKailynn Apolinaris ★★★★★ Ana is amazing! As an old coworker I can say Ana is always ready to assist. She is a great asset to anyone lucky enough to work with her.Response from the ownerKailynn, thank you for leaving a wonderful review for our firm. Ana is truly a wonderful part of our team! peter alsenpeter alsen ★★★★★ In all of my dealings with the TonaLaw office, the lawyers and staff have been excellent.They have earned my confidence and trust.Response from the ownerWe are so pleased to hear that you’ve had such a great experience with our team. Your confidence and trust in our firm is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for your review! Ashley VelazquezAshley Velazquez ★★★★★ Ana was knowledgeable, courteous & helpful throughout everything! She was willing to go the extra mile! It was a delight working with her. You’re in great hands when working with Ana!!Patty RivasPatty Rivas ★★★★★ The team is fantastic. I worked with Ana directly and appreciated how quickly she was able to respond back to me and provide efficient, excellent results. I would work with her again!Response from the ownerThank you so much for your kind words about Ana and the rest of our team! js_loader