Accidents involving public transport are common in the UK which is why we at clickandclaim have a panel of specialist solicitors ready to assist with your case.

Getting around in parts of Britain can only be described as difficult – consider the  busy and overcrowded rail network, the claustrophobic  tube and the heaving urban and poor rural bus services.

No longer confined to helping elderly ladies with their weekend shopping, taxis and private hire vehicles now offer an invaluable service to people who need to get to work on time or simply want to get home at 2 in the morning after a night on the tiles. We all need to use taxis at sometimes. Taxi use has steadily increased over the last 20 years – 32 per cent of the public use a taxi at least once a month, compared to just 16 per cent in the mid-1980s.

You  should always follow simple precautions to ensure your safety. Only use official licensed taxis, order private hire cars from a company you are familiar with or recommended. Make sure if you travel alone that someone else knows you are in the taxi. Do not get into the car if you are worried in any way. Note the drivers licence number. Use the seat belt provided. Wearing a seatbelt is not only the law and important for safety reasons, it can also lead to a reduction in any compensation you receive if you fail to wear one.

Passengers as well as drivers should always take reasonable care for their own safety and wear safety belts and use head restraints. The amount of compensation you receive could be less if this was not  the case. This failure should not reduce the amount of compensation a child receives as the parent would normally be responsible for ensuring that the child followed the regulations. This may be different if the child was over 14. However, whatever precautions you take as a passenger sometimes you will be involved in an accident.

Claims against taxi drivers are like any other passenger claims. A taxi driver, like any other driver, owes his or her passengers a duty of care. A taxi driver also like any other driver should be insured. It is therefore his or her insurance company who will be financially responsible for any claim. Do not worry, therefore, that you will be damaging the driver individually.

You should make sure, if possible, following an accident that you have the driver’s name, taxi registration number and are aware of the company he/she works for. It is sensible as a bare minimum to take down the car registration number. The accident may not have been the taxi driver’s fault, it is therefore sensible to make sure you have the same details for any other vehicle  involved in the accident.

In almost all cases if you suffer an injury following a collision travelling in a taxi you will be able to make a successful claim against somebody. It is even possible to make a claim if the driver of the vehicle was not insured. Talk to us about the circumstances of your particular case and we will be happy to advise you.