Oregon’s prom season is here. Kids dream of the perfect evening and many want to hire a limo to arrive in style. Most parents don’t give much thought about hiring a limousine and leave it to their children to scour the internet to find the limo the teen wants to hire.
As a result, most of the effort in hiring a limo is focused to finding a limo that looks cool, can hold enough passengers, and is affordable and available. Safety and insurance is often an afterthought. However, safety and insurance should be the first thing parents look at when hiring an Oregon Limo company.
Limousines can be very dangerous. They can carry numerous people, most passengers are not wearing seat belts, and there are limited exit routes. The dangers of limousines are often compounded by the rowdy passengers. This is why it is important parents do their homework prior to hiring a prom limousine. Below is a list of things parent should address prior to hiring a limo:
- If hiring a limo in Portland, Oregon, the parent should ensure the limo company is permitted to operate in Portland. The City asserts permitted companies:
- Have had their vehicles inspected;
- Have had their drivers pass DMV and criminal background checks;
- Have a minimum of $1,000,000 in General Liability insurance; and
- Have a minimum of $500,000 in Auto Liability insurance
- Below is a list of permitted companies listed on the City of Portland’s website as of April 1, 2014. Please keep in mind, Ross Law LLC does not have any connection with any of these companies and in no way endorses them, but according to the City’s site they are permitted.
- 21st Century Town Car LLC: 503-476-5527
- Above the Stars Limousine: 360-521-1259
- All American Limousine LLC: 503-956-2601
- Aspen Limo Tours LLC: 503-274-9505 and 360-260-0515
- Astra Limousine and Town Car Service: 503-539-5531
- Best Rate Limousine: 503-507-5277
- Chariot Limousine: 503-318-2323
- Classic Chauffeur: 503-238-8880
- Crystolite Coaches LTD dba: Northwest Limousine: 503-282-5414
- Fiesta Enterprises, LLC: 503-641-8100
- JMI Limousine Inc.: 503-643-6404
- Lucky Limousine & Towncar Service, LLC: 503-254-0010
- My Chauffeur Transportation Company: 877-692-4283
- Prestige Limousines: 503-445-1676
- Rose City Limo, LLC: 503-504-6523
- Twilite Limousine and Tour Company: 503-477-2897
- Ask about insurance coverage. If your child is one of 10 children that is injured in a limo crash, the minimal $500,000.00 auto accident coverage can be depleted very quickly. Additionally, a few weeks in the hospital with catastrophic injures can chew through half million dollar policy very quickly. It is important to ensure the company has sufficient insurance to cover the worst case scenario. You can ask to see their insurance policy and permit prior to signing any documents.
- Ensure the limo is modern and preferably has more than two exit doors. Multiple exit doors are important if passengers need to exit quickly if their is a fire or crash. Try and see the limo prior to signing any contract, so you can see if there are any safety concerns prior to prom night. For instance maybe the doors are inoperable due to interior modifications.
- Fires can be deadly in limos due to the limited exit routes. Ensure the limo has a fire extinguisher that is accessible in the rear of the vehicle. Ensure the fire extinguisher is up to date. Most importantly discuss where the fire extinguisher is with your child. Do your best to ensure they know how to operate it and they feel comfortable doing so in an emergency.
- Ensure the driver and company is reputable. The Oregon Secretary of State keeps a data base of consumer complaints that are forwarded to them. Click here to search for the particular limo company’s complaints. Also, review on-line reviews, better business bureau complaints, and perform a search engine search on the limo company and the driver’s name if possible.
- Ask about prior incidents, collisions, and injuries. Be open about your concerns and ask the limo company how they are going to address them. For instance you may be concerned with kids consuming alcohol in the limo. You may want to ask how the driver will handle that situation if it arises.
The tips above are things for parents to think about, but the list is by no means exclusive. Prom night can be exciting for teenagers and terrifying for parents. Doing your homework on the limo company may help alleviate some parental anxiety on prom night. It may also save your child from getting in a dangerous situation.
If you or your child has been injured in a limo crash, call Oregon Injury Attorney Jeremiah Ross at 503.224.1658 for your free personal injury consultation. Please remember this post is not to be construed as legal advice and is for information purposes only. In some states this post could be considered Attorney Advertising. Lastly, this post does not create an attorney client relationship.