Have you been injured in an accident involving an electric scooter?
You’re not alone.
Within the last few years, electric scooters, or e-scooters as they’re often called, have soared in popularity throughout Arizona. Not surprisingly, so have related injuries.
Let’s explore some:
Of course, when you’re ready to talk about the specifics of your situation, you should schedule a complimentary case review. Each case is different, and a quick conversation with one of our specialists should give you some helpful insight into how you might get the financial compensation you deserve after being injured in an e-scooter accident.
Since Bird’s launch of the first rental scooter service in Santa Monica in Sept 2017, it’s safe to say an entire industry has grown up, with electric scooters, electric bikes, and electric hybrids for rent throughout urban areas in Arizona and the world.
While not everyone loves e-scooters, many people find them fun to ride and appreciate the convenience they offer on short trips when compared to walking, biking, or taking transit. Plus, because users don’t own the vehicles, they don’t cause concerns about theft, parking, repairs, or storage issues.
Although they may not seem as dangerous as cars or other modes of transportation, people renting e-scooters are often unfamiliar with these vehicles and can pose a significant risk to riders, pedestrians, and other vehicles around them. In addition, as with all two-wheeled vehicles like bicycles and motorcycles, their small size can lead to dangerous situations and cause serious injuries to riders.
As with nearly all personal injury cases, determining the cause of an e-scooter accident is critical when bringing an injury claim.
Common situations where the driver of the scooter may be at fault include:
Common situations where another person may be at fault include:
Common situations where another company or government entity may be at fault include:
Most importantly: Don’t necessarily take the word of the opposing drivers or their insurance representatives if they suggest you are at fault for an accident. We’ve had multiple cases where our clients initially assumed they were at fault, but it turns out not to be the case, such as if our investigation reveals that the other party didn’t provide enough space for the safe operation of an e-scooter or a rental company knew of faulty parts that would impact a scooter’s safe operation.
Some notable accidents involving e-scooters include:
If you’ve been in an e-scooter accident, it’s worth your time to talk with one of our specialists who can review the specifics of your situation. The case review is free and the sooner you call, the sooner we can start investigating the situation.
Most cities in Arizona don’t allow e-scooters to go more than 15 mph while on streets, but some can reach speeds of 60 mph and more.
However, even traveling at the (relatively) slow speed of 15MPH can pose a risk to a rider, with or without a helmet.
In general, drivers are required to wear a helmet when riding an electric scooter, but helmets only offer a person’s head protection and not the rest of the body.
Some common injuries we see from electric scooter accidents include:
Regardless of your injury and level of pain, if you’ve been involved in a serious e-scooter accident, it’s best to assume that you’re going to need medical attention, as many injuries only show up days or weeks after an accident.
Throughout most of Arizona, e-scooter operators are given almost the same rights and rules as vehicle drivers in the eyes of the law. Accidents involving electric scooters and bikes are generally treated like any accident involving a motor vehicle.
This means that just as victims of car accidents must take action to prove they got hurt by someone else’s reckless actions, victims of e-scooter accidents will need to take action to get money for injury-related damages. This doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have to go to court as most of the time claims are resolved with insurance companies without the need for lawsuits. However, it does mean you need to take action and the sooner you get professionals involved after an accident, the easier it is to investigate the accident and prove facts that can be essential to maximizing a settlement.
By documenting and providing facts, some common items we’ve been able to get our clients compensated for include:
The first step to earning compensation for your injury is to schedule a quick consultation with one of our specialists. Not only is it a free consultation, but you’ll never have to pay anything out-of-pocket to us. We only collect a recovery fee and only if we win your case.