Chicago taxicab accident lawyer and GWC partner Larry Ruder was interviewed by CBS Chicago News last week concerning the untimely death of one of his clients at the hands of a dangerous cab driver.
Mr. Ruder’s client, Hector Placencia, was walking to work at a Navy Pier restaurant when he was killed by taxi driver Yao Ofori as Ofori careened off the road and into Placencia at a high rate of speed.Placencia’s death is a tragedy by any measure, and the underlying facts reveal that it did not have to happen.
The cab driver that killed him had 34 traffic violations with 14 convictions – yet he was still driving. Placencia’s death was not the only fatality that came at the hands of a taxi driver with multiple offenses this year; according to the Chicago Police Department, another pedestrian was killed by Mohammed Ahmed, a Chicago taxi driver, when Ahmed failed to yield the right of way to an 86-year-old woman.
Ahmed has reportedly received 63 tickets since 1999 with 14 convictions.
According to CBS, the City of Chicago is reviewing its procedures and policies with regards to the renewal of cab drivers’ licenses and the minimum insurance coverage required by the city for each incident. In terms of license renewal, for many years the City would manually check the records of each cab driver and could potentially revoke the licenses of any driver found to have had three or more moving violations.
Recently, the City has instituted an automatic revocation policy for these repeat offenders. As for insurance coverage, as of now the City of Chicago requires a minimum of $350,000 per incident. The City will likely try to increase this minimum. Unfortunately, in cases where taxicab crashes cause multiple and serious injuries, $350,000 is not enough to cover medical costs alone.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with a Chicago cab driver, call the Chicago taxi accident law firm of GWC Injury Lawyers today. We offer free consultations with one of our experienced car accident attorneys who will be able to assess the facts of your case and advise you on the best course of action.
To speak with an attorney, call us at 1-312-464-1234 or chat with an operator twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
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