Sarah Johns has over 8 years of experience evaluating personal injury claims across Scotland. Having reviewed thousands of initial case assessments, Sarah specialises in helping consumers understand the Scottish personal injury claims process and connecting them with specialist, panel-approved solicitors.
You get in the back, give the address, and trust the driver to get you there safely. It might be a black cab from the stance outside Edinburgh Airport, an app-booked ride home in Glasgow, or a private hire car on a council school contract. When that trust is broken by a crash, a sudden stop or a careless driver, you’re entitled to claim.
This guide covers the specific issues that come up when taxi and private hire passengers are injured in Scotland.
As a passenger, you had no control over the vehicle. If you were hurt, it was almost certainly because your driver, another driver, or both were careless.
You don’t need to work out which driver was at fault for your claim to begin. If blame is disputed, the claim can be brought against both drivers’ insurers, and they decide between themselves who pays.
Uber, Bolt and other apps operate in Scotland’s cities. Under Scottish licensing law, the cars they dispatch are private hire cars. That means the vehicle and driver must be licensed by the council, and the car must carry insurance for paying passengers.
The app works in your favour. It records the driver’s name, the registration, the pick-up time, the route and often the speed, which is invaluable evidence. Take screenshots of the trip details as soon as you can, in case the record becomes harder to access later.
Seatbelt rules in taxis are different from private cars, and insurers sometimes raise them.
A seatbelt reduction is never automatic. The defender must prove a belt would actually have changed the injury.
Children without car seats
Taxis and private hire cars have special rules for children. If no child seat is available, a child under three may travel unrestrained in the rear. Children aged three and over may use an adult belt in the rear.
If your child was hurt while travelling under these rules, that is no reason to reduce their compensation. The rules permit it, and the child was not at fault. A child’s claim is brought by a parent, and the three-year time limit doesn’t start until they turn 16.
Wheelchair-accessible taxis must be safe for passengers using them. Injuries happen when:
These claims can be against the driver and operator, and sometimes against the company that adapted the vehicle.
Plenty of passenger injuries happen without any collision. A driver pulls away as you step out. Someone shuts a door on your hand. You’re dropped somewhere unsafe, in the middle of a busy road instead of at the kerb. Drivers owe passengers a duty of care from the moment they get in until they’re safely out.
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Passengers can claim solatium for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. They can also claim patrimonial loss: lost earnings, treatment and travel expenses, care from family, and damaged belongings such as a phone or luggage.
Passenger claims can be funded through a Success Fee Agreement. If the claim fails, you pay no fee, and outlays such as medical reports aren’t passed to you. If it succeeds, the success fee comes from your damages and is capped by law at 20% of the first £100,000, including VAT and any unrecovered outlays.
Usually the insurer of the private hire car, or the other vehicle’s insurer if that driver caused the crash.
No. Taxi drivers are exempt while carrying passengers, and it has no bearing on your right to claim.
Yes. Your compensation may be reduced if a belt would have reduced your injuries.
Yes. Taxis are allowed to carry children without car seats in the rear, and that doesn’t reduce a child’s claim.
It can be, if the driver moved off early or dropped you somewhere unsafe.
Hurt as a taxi passenger? Call 0333 3051 337 or start your Taxi Accident Claims. Read our taxi accident claims guide for the bigger picture.
General information on Scots law, reviewed 10/Nov/2026. Not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed.
