Yesterday, a 22-year-old bicyclist suffered life-threatening injuries when he was hit by a taxi that ran a red light in the Mission District. While the cyclist was crossing at Cesar Chavez and Guerrero streets just before 2 a.m. Sunday, a 56-year-old driver of a Yellow Town Taxi heading east on Cesar Chavez ran a red light and struck the him with his Ford Escape Taxi. The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet and was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening head injuries. According to a report, the cyclist was laying face down and bleeding badly from the mouth, and many people rushed to his aid. The paramedics were also quick to respond.
This accident is yet another reminder that San Francisco taxi drivers are some of the most negligent drivers on the planet. Taxis are often seen speeding, challenging traffic signals, failing to stop at stop signs, and changing lanes or pulling away from the curb without looking at the road. Therefore, there is a high probability that a taxi will hit a bicyclist at some point. Cyclists are most likely to be injured in an intersection because negligent or impatient taxi drivers are notorious for running lights. Also, taxis often sideswipe cyclists when they change lanes without looking. Many times a cyclist injured by a taxi will have substantial damages from medical bills and lost wages, and, usually any attempt to collect damages from the taxi driver are futile because drivers usually don’t have a lot of money. For that reason, it becomes necessary to recover damages from the company that provided the cab.
Each taxi-bicyclist case presents its own special set of challenges, all of which our firm has the experience and expertise to handle. We are committed to working hard for our clients, whether that be in mediation, arbitration or trial. If you or a loved one suffered painful injuries and/or a permanent disability, you will need fair compensation and a competent injury accident attorney to reprsent you. Our firm represents residents throughout the Bay Area, including visitors to the area and has been helping injured bicyclists and pedestrians in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 10 years. If you were injured or a family member was killed in by taxi driver negligence, contact us for a free no-obligation consultation. We handle all taxi injury cases on a contingent fee basis, which means you pay no attorney’s fees unless we are successful in achieving a financial recovery in your case