File photo of Ridgewood Taxi
Victims of taxicab crashes in N.J. struggle to collect insurance payouts
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2012, 11:16 PM
BY JOHN PETRICK
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
If you’re hurt in a cab accident in New Jersey and sue for your injuries, fasten your seat belt: You could be in for an even rougher ride in court.
Francesca Motta, 20, recently won a $785,000 civil judgment for injuries she sustained when she was run over, then backed over again, by a Paterson taxi cab owned by Latino American Car Services and driven by Bolivar Abreu.
It’s not that she thinks the amount of money that the Passaic County state Superior Court jury came up with wasn’t fair. It’s that she probably won’t ever see the majority of it, thanks to what she and her lawyer say are outrageously inadequate state liability insurance requirements for taxis.
The law requires a minimum of $35,000 liability coverage, which is about all Motta’s lawyers expect her to collect. Municipalities, which grant permits for cab companies to operate within their limits, can require higher coverage. Ridgewood, for example, raised the insurance requirement on cabs to $1 million per vehicle before objections persuaded officials to lower it. Ridgewood still requires much higher coverage for cabs than the state.
“We have an obligation to protect the riders and passengers of any taxi cab company operating in the village of Ridgewood,” said Councilman Tom Riche.
https://www.northjersey.com/clifton/Victims_of_taxicab_crashes_in_NJ_struggle_to_collect_awards.html