My fiance drove a taxi for a couple months and accidentally hit another car. The passenger of that car is now suing my fiance and the company for pain and suffering and possibly medical expenses too. But my fiance didn't know that the cab company she worked for didn't have insurance and we don't have money to pay. Will the company have to pay or my fiance? What should we do. And we plan do go to a public defender because we can't hire a lawyer.
Sorry to hear what happened to your fiancé. If the cab company owned the vehicle she was driving at the time of the incident it might be vicariously responsible for the other passenger's injuries. Of course, if the cab company did not carry insurance that might not make a difference. Also, if the cab company is in the business of renting or leasing motor vehicles it might not have any responsibility under the Graves Amendment, a law passed years ago by Congress which curtailed the liability of rental car companies and which has been applied to cab companies. Your fiancé might want to advise the attorneys for the passenger that she has no insurance. Most attorneys do not want to chase after someone's personal assets and would choose to file a claim with MVAIC. Finally, generally speaking, a public defender only helps someone who cannot afford a criminal defense attorney, not a civil defense attorney.
Best regards,
Jonathan R. Ratchik, Esq.
Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC
61 Broadway, Suite 2220
New York, NY 10006
(212) 226-6662
http://kdrpilawyers.com/
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