A woman from Florida learned the hard way about a loophole in Taxi Cab Law in the State of Nevada. Kathy Graves was injured in a Yellow Checker Cab taxi on New Year’s morning on they way from the airport to her parent’s home in Eastern Las Vegas. Little did she know that the taxi wasn’t carrying uninsured motorist insurance at the time of the accident.
On the way from McCarran International Airport the cab was struck by a van that ran a red light at Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway. The driver of the taxi was taken to a local hospital and Graves, who wasn’t wearing her seat belt, crashed into the back of the taxi driver’s seat. Although she wasn’t treated at any hospital, she sustained injuries to her hand and fingers.
Under Nevada Laws and governed by the Transportation Safety Administration, the Nevada Taxi Authority does not require taxis, including other public transport vehicles, are not required to have uninsured-motorist insurance. Nevada is not alone in this respect, as other large metro areas including San Francisco and New York similarly do not require cabs to carry uninsured motorist insurance.
As a tourist Mecca, Las Vegas has thousands of public transportation accidents, including taxi, limo and buses ferry passengers to and from the airport, convention centers and hotels. While many accidents are covered by insurance or don’t result in injury, there are sometimes cases where a passenger doesn’t understand their legal rights. The most important step is contacing a legal entity that understands Taxi Cab Law in the State of Nevada: the Law Offices of Benson & Bingham.