Cab Company Hit with $1.5 million Verdict after Blind Man’s Death

A jury recently decided to award the estate of James Lafayette Taylor $1.5 million after he was struck by a cabbie four years ago and died in 2008 as a result from his injuries. The lawsuit claims that the cab driver who hit Taylor was partially blind and had a club foot which made him incompetent as a driver. Taylor’s attorneys stated that the cab driver’s disabilities were confirmed last month.

Defendant Rodney Charles Garrett was driving for the Cab Company and the lawsuit also named defendants Subhan Chaudhary, owner of the Cab Company, Shaukat Ali, owner of the taxi Garrett was driving when he hit Taylor, and the Cab Company. Garret who was driving the cab at the time of the accident is blind in one eye and required corrective surgery or lenses in the other eye and also had a club foot according to the lawsuit complaint. The lawsuit also states that Chaudhary knew when he hired Garrett the man had disabilities and a suspended license, which Garret had regained at the time of the accident.

The lawsuit against the driver, cab owner, and cab company owner also claims that Ali allowed his car to be used by the Cab Company without a background check or assurance from Chaudhary that the drivers were competent. Finally, the lawsuit claims that Garret was traveling at an excessive speed and negligently hitting Taylor. The civil lawsuit did not accuse the defendants of criminal acts but of negligence in causing Taylor’s injuries and death. Taylor suffered brain injuries that left him in severe pain and ultimately caused his wrongful death eight months after the accident which occurred on June 15, 2007.

In Tennessee and across the United States when companies allow their employees to work or operate vehicles even when they know they have a suspended license and or disabilities that would make it difficult for them to do these tasks, the company should be held responsible if a serious injury occurs as a result. If you or someone you know has suffered a serious injury or even death after a vehicle accident that a company may have been responsible for, you should speak with a Tennessee personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. They will hear your case and make sure that you get the compensation you need.