What Are the Risks Involved in an Electric Scooter Accident?
We live in a fast-paced and ever-changing world. Every day, some new innovation brings us a little closer together. But these changes also present unique challenges. Electric scooters are a great example of this phenomenon. All across America, e-scooters have been conveniently placed and made available to the public to help people get around crowded metropolitan areas.
In Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, the electric scooter has become ubiquitous. But so, too, have lawsuits related to injuries resulting from serious accidents involving these electric scooters. If you are an e-scooter rider or drive where they are prominent, here’s what you need to know:
Injuries Resulting From Scooters on Curb Accidents
The most frequent cause of injury for those using an electric scooter does not necessarily involve another person. Many cities and states are scrambling to regulate this new industry for just this reason; the most frequent cause of scooter accidents is the scooters themselves. Unwieldy and poorly designed, many electric scooters have trouble navigating the cracked concrete sidewalks typical to our downtown areas.
Many lawsuits have been initiated by people who’ve been severely injured because their scooter failed in some way that caused the rider to fall. An intense fall can cause serious injuries, requiring significant medical attention and sometimes even an extended leave of absence from work. These are cognizable damages that should be compensated by the at-fault party.
Injuries Resulting From Scooter-on-Pedestrian Accidents
Often, though, the plaintiff in a scooter-injury case isn’t even the rider of the scooter themselves. Because electric scooters allow tourists and others to zip around heavily populated pedestrian areas, the second most frequent type of scooter accident occurs when a person operates their scooter poorly and rides into a person on foot. This sort of accident causes the pedestrian to endure a serious impact and fall, again leading to necessary and extensive medical care and time off work.
Injuries Resulting From Scooter-on-Vehicle Accidents
The third most common e-scooter accident is also the worst. Scooter operators who are struck by vehicles tend to have the most severe injuries requiring significant financial resources to remedy. Often, though, the at-fault party isn’t even the driver of the vehicle. Because scooters can be unreliable, some operators fall due to no fault of their own but are forced into the path of an oncoming car, truck, or bus. In these instances, the city or scooter-owner may be at fault.
Hundreds of plaintiffs can tell you that an injury caused by an electric scooter is just as medically serious and financially detrimental as any other traumatic injury. If you’ve suffered harm because of an accident involving an electric scooter, contact Levin & Nalbandyan, LLP at (213) 232-4848 today to learn your rights when it comes to these sorts of accidents.
