Taxi cab accidents happen in every city around the country, and the more taxi cab use rises, the faster these accidents rise. Laws regarding taxi cab accidents vary from place to place, depending on the statute of limitations, any local laws governing taxi cab use and protecting rider rights, and the liability involved in the case. If you’ve been injured in a taxi cab accident, here’s what you need to know:

Determining taxi cab accident liability can be challenging. In some cases, cab drivers also own their cabs, so they’re solely responsible for what happens in a taxi cab accident. Unless, of course, an accident occurs as a result of a faulty part or negligent repair, which would then bring the part manufacturer or the mechanic who performed the repairs into the liability question. In many cases, taxi drivers merely rent the cab from the owner company, in which case both the driver and the taxi cab company may be liable. In a few cases, the taxi cab companies own the vehicles and employ the drivers directly, shifting liability to the cab company.

And that doesn’t even cover legal livery cars, illegal gypsy cabs, limousines and town cars.

Bottom line: a taxi cab accident can be difficult to litigate, whether you’re a passenger in the cab or another driver involved in an accident with a taxi. You may have trouble pinpointing the responsible party, and you may have difficulty determining the insurer or making a claim.

The injuries you incur in a taxi cab accident typically mirror that of a normal motor vehicle accident. However, because taxis often have problems like non-functional or missing seat belts, a lack of airbags and the partition in front of the seat, you may have more impact-related injuries from slamming against the back of the seat in front of you or into the partition. No matter what form your injuries take, you should be entitled to make a recovery in your taxi cab accident case.