Limo & Car Service Accidents

Utilizing a limo or town car service is something that people oftentimes do, especially for special events. You may use these services if you are traveling, involved in a big occasion like a wedding or a funeral, or if you are going to a special event for work. While these are considered luxury services and can be a fun way to get around, disaster can strike if a limo or town car is involved in a car accident. On this page, I will discuss more about common causes of accidents with these kind of vehicles and what you can do if you are injured as a passenger.

Who is At Fault?

If you are a passenger in a town car or a limo, determining fault in an accident might not be as straightforward as you would think. This is because some issues may be the fault of the driver, while other issues may be the fault of the company that provides the driving service. Here are a few common situations in which a driver may act with negligence, and therefore be responsible for an accident:

• Exhibiting reckless behavior on the road, such as swerving, driving too closely to other vehicles, or speeding.
• Driving while fatigued and succumbing to exhaustion.
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Distracted driving, which might occur as a result of talking to passengers, using a cell phone, etc.

The town car service or limousine company itself may be responsible for an accident if one of the follow issues lead to a collision or crash:

• The driver was not qualified for the job or didn’t have the proper license and was hired anyway.
•  The vehicle was not properly insured.
• The limo or town car service did not have a proper permit to operate.
• Overworking drivers and causing fatigue that could lead to dangerous driving (falling asleep at the wheel, lack of focus, etc.).
• Using vehicles that are not safe or properly maintained.
• Knowing that there are too many passengers in the vehicle.

In other situations, a driver of another vehicle could cause the accident, and therefore be at fault. If this is the case, you should look into filing a lawsuit against the other vehicle’s driver.

In some cases as well, the car service or driver may try to blame you as the passenger for contributing to the accident. This is mostly the case if the driver tries to claim that you were distracting them while they were operating the vehicle by getting out of your seat, talking to the driver, acting aggressively, etc. While these are often cheap shots employed in an attempt to avoid fault, it might be an accusation that you have to defend yourself against if you are filing a claim against the driver or the driving service.

Getting Help

If you need assistance determining fault in the accident that you were involved in, contact my office. We can discuss the best way to proceed for you and how you can seek justice for the injuries that you have sustained.