Recent NYC taxi cab accidents leave 2 dead and several injured

Many sites and sounds are unique to New York City. Among the sites that are readily associated with the city are the thousands of yellow taxi cabs that transport New Yorkers throughout the city’s five boroughs.

According to the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, yellow taxis transport an estimated 600,000 people throughout the city every day or 236 million people per year. To account for these impressive numbers, the average taxi cab driver spends nine-and-a-half hours each day traversing the city’s congested and busy streets.

There’s no doubt that taxis play an important role in NYC’s economy and culture. Concerns about the safety of the cabs themselves and their drivers, however, remain on the minds of many. This is especially true in light of two recent taxi accidents in which several people were injured and two people killed.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on March 20, a group of pedestrians were waiting for a bus in the Bronx when a taxi cab crashed into them. According to a police report, for unknown reasons, the taxi careened off the street and hit a parked car and then continued to crash into the waiting pedestrians.

A 25-year-old man died at the accident scene and a five-year-old girl, who was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, died the next day. The girl’s 39-year-old mother and a 55-year-old man also suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized and a 31-year-old driver of the parked car suffered minor injuries.

On March 25, another accident involving two taxi cabs resulted in the injuries of both drivers and four pedestrians. Police report the accident occurred around 1:40 p.m. when a taxi cab rear-ended another cab that was stopped at a traffic light. The force of the crash caused the first taxi to propel forward and into pedestrians who were crossing the street.

Residents or visitors to NYC, who are injured while riding in a taxi cab or by a taxi while walking or biking, are advised to seek legal advice. In some cases, legal action may be appropriate and aid in the recovery of damages related to injuries, medical expenses, lost wages and disability.

Source: The New York Times, “Second Person Dies After Taxi Jumps Curb in the Bronx,” Ashley Southall, March 21, 2015
New York Post, “Cab accident sends two drivers and four pedestrians to hospital,” Dana Sauchelli and Bruce Golding, March 25, 2015

Source: The New York Times, “Second Person Dies After Taxi Jumps Curb in the Bronx,” Ashley Southall, March 21, 2015

New York Post, “Cab accident sends two drivers and four pedestrians to hospital,” Dana Sauchelli and Bruce Golding, March 25, 2015