Woman Killed In Taxi Awarded $25.5 Million In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The husband of an Atlanta woman who was killed in a taxicab over two decades ago has won a wrongful death lawsuit against the taxi company to the tune of $25.5 million. A Georgia jury awarded the husband the sum in his lawsuit against an Atlanta cab company, the driver of the cab, and a City of Atlanta taxi inspector in March, according to court documents. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, the verdict underscores “a grave breach of trust.” He said, “The company’s fundamental obligation to safeguard taxi passengers was blatantly ignored.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s wife, a 51-year-old woman, was killed in a crash while riding in a company taxi on I-85 on the night of January 29, 2003. According to the lawsuit, the driver of the cab lost control of the vehicle on the interstate, which was slick after it had rained. The accident occurred in southwest Atlanta. The driver crossed multiple lanes and struck a tree. The ensuing accident resulted in the death of the passenger. Court documents indicate that the passenger was ejected from the vehicle and decapitated.
Elements of negligence
In this case, the plaintiffs successfully alleged that the taxicab company failed to maintain the vehicle in proper condition. Both of the rear tires had insufficient tread at the time of the accident causing the car to skid out.
Also named in the lawsuit was a City of Atlanta taxi inspector who had passed the vehicle the day before the accident with the bad tires. All commuter passenger vehicles are required by law to maintain the vehicle in good working condition. This includes ensuring the tires are adequately functional. In this case, the combination of slick roads and insufficient treading on the tires caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. A passenger died as a result of that failure. The taxi cab company and the state inspector were both held liable for the woman’s death.
The state inspector
The driver of the cab had brought his car to the Atlanta Taxi Bureau for its semi-annual inspection on January 28. The inspector, who was named in the lawsuit, passed the vehicle even though it had illegally slick tires. According to the suit, the tires had below a minimum tread depth of 2/32 inch “measurable in all major grooves”. This is a violation of Georgia law and Atlanta city ordinances.
In addition, the cab company failed to inspect the vehicle even though it was required to do so by law. At no point did the city inspector actually measure the tread of the tires. The plaintiff alleged that the city inspector had insufficient training and “did not know the minimum tread depth to legally (and safely) drive a car on Atlanta roads.
Talk to a Georgia Car Accident Attorney Today
The Brunswick, GA car accident attorneys at Gillette Law represent the interests of those injured in traffic accidents. Call our Jacksonville personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation, and we can begin discussing your claims right away.
Source:
atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/03/12/womans-husband-awarded-255m-wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-atlanta-taxi-company-lawyer-says/
