With every accident, there is someone or something at fault. We are here to advise you on how to avoid certain scenarios and what to do if it’s unavoidable. Have you used one of those cool, fancy electric scooters to get from point A to point B? How many times have you thought, ‘I hope nobody hits me’? Sadly, this happens way too often, and the statistics are showing that these accidents are happening more often. When you are riding on the scooter, are you using hand signals?
Well, you should. Like riding a bike, you need to let the people driving know which direction you are going to avoid being hit. When you are riding the electronic scooters, you can get distracted by the amount of fun you are having but you also need to remember the only difference between this scooter and the scooter you rode as a kid is the fact that they are not messing up your ankles with the sides and there is no protection of your body if something bigger than you impacts you. As scooters continue to rise in popularity.
As always, we do not wish anything bad to happen to you, we just want you to know what to do just in case it does happen. Unfortunately, there is an increase in accidents involving an electric scooter, and the numbers keep rising as more people continue to speed up as well as distracted by their phones. More and more cases arise when people do not know how and what to do when enjoying their time on the scooters. There was an incident where a 14-year-old boy almost lost his life and is in critical condition due to being hit by a reckless driver speeding. Thankfully they stayed on the scene.
According to nbcmiami.com, they advised that when they interviewed the neighbors they said, “People who live in the surrounding neighborhood say speeding is an issue on Northwest 13th Street and they hope something changes.” This tragic event should not have happened, people need to slow down and pick their heads up. If you know the area and the patterns of the streets, try to avoid the busy streets, and always use the sidewalks and if the roads are clear, use the bike lanes. No person would want to receive the news that their loved ones are severely injured or worse.
Who is at fault in an electric scooter accident?
Not every time it is the driver’s fault for the scooter accident. Sometimes the scooterist is distracted by not paying attention to other motorists around them. There are some states where it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks with electric scooters, so the scooter user would be forced to use the bike lane in the street. With that law being in place, it makes the riders more susceptible to injury and danger. In Miami Dade County there was a school bus full of children being dropped off and a man on a scooter slammed into the back of the bus and unfortunately lost his life. There are times when the scooterist is the negligent one and often can be held liable for injuries depending on the incident. We strongly advise, when riding an electric scooter, to be vigilant of your surroundings and practice defensive driving to avoid people who are not paying attention. It will save you and others around you some headaches and financial strains.
What types of situations can the scooterist be found at fault?
You can be found at fault for causing an accident as a scooterist too for example, let’s say you are on a scooter, and you decide you want to record having a great time riding around and you do not realize that there is a car coming. Hopefully, you are still intact and can give an officer your statement. Thankfully you have a video of the events leading up. To avoid having evidence stacked against you, put down your phone and pay attention to your surroundings. Now, if you were to be struck by a negligent driver, we hope you can walk away from the situation unscathed, the driver would be declared at fault and their car insurance company would cover your medical bills and anything that needs to be repaired post-accident.
What steps should you take after a scooter accident?
Even if you do, I’m going to tell you anyway. The first thing you do is get medical attention, so many life long-lasting injuries can happen after your body gets impacted, creating adrenaline. That adrenaline will have you up, hyped, and ready to fight because you will not feel a thing but your emotions. Your body won’t realize that it is hurt until the adrenaline subsides. So, even if you feel fine, still go get checked out. Through PIP insurance, your insurance will cover $10,000 of your medical bills. If your bills are more than the given $10,000 you have the right to sue the negligent driver’s insurance. Next, call the police! Would you rather let the person open a claim against you in the future because there was not an official present to take statements or would you rather get the statements and get an official to declare you were not at fault when you need to show proof to the defendant’s insurance company? We want you to be fully prepared for any possibilities because we know how people can be sometimes. If the other party does not seem to cooperate with you, it may be wise to report it so you can have specific dates and details of the crash on file. Lastly, stay on the scene! How are the police supposed to help you if you are not there to give them information, know what happened, or give you the report so you can have your medical bills covered if more than $10,000.
Can the e-scooter company be held liable?
You still have the option to call the company of the scooters, as long as you get the police report and have everything together and filed. According to “epilot.eu” they advise “It appears how providers want you to handle the situation is through the proper police authorities first. However, there could be instances where you might need to contact the e-scooter provider. For example, if the machine is damaged in an accident, what do you do? If you need to leave the scene and you are still logged into your scooter will you have to pay the charges that are incurred? Buried in the help section of Lime’s website is a phone number you are suggested to call after reporting accidents to the proper authorities. It seems like e-scooter companies are trying to keep accidents as not their problem. The terms of agreements are heavily packed with information regarding that liability that places the majority of issues as the responsibility of the rider”.
In the emergency department of electric scooters, their results claimed, “A total of 3,331 patients with e-scooter injuries presented to the ED over 34 months. There was a 6-fold increase in e-scooter-related injuries presenting to the ED, from an average of 26.9 injuries per month before the introduction of shared e-scooter services in August 2018 to an average of 152.6 injuries per month after its introduction. The average injury rate during weekdays was 3.27 per day, with the majority of injuries occurring in the afternoon. The most common mechanism of injury was rider fall (79.1%). There were a total of 2,637 orthopedic injuries, of which 599 (22.7%) were fractures. A total of 296 (8.9%) patients were hospitalized following the initial ED admission, and 462 surgeries were performed within 7 days of ED arrival. The introduction of shared e-scooter services is associated with a dramatic increase in e-scooter injuries presented to the ED. E-scooter use carries considerably underestimated injury risks of high-energy trauma and misunderstood mechanisms of injuries. These injuries challenge the healthcare system, with a major impact on both EDs and surgical departments.”
For those of you who are new to the e-scooter experience, the emergency department of electric scooters the explained when the introduction of the scooters came out. The introduction of electric scooters (e-scooters) and shared e-scooter services have revolutionized commuting throughout the world. These low-cost and environmentally friendly vehicles have become an attractive alternative for public transportation. The first shared e-scooter service in Israel was introduced in August 2018 by Bird (Bird Rides). Several other companies quickly followed, including Neutron Holdings (Lime-S scooter) and Wind Mobility (Wind e-scooter), increasing to thousands of e-scooters available throughout the cities. In 2019, one year following the launching of shared services, Tel Aviv had the highest rate of shared e-scooter users per capita worldwide, with approximately 7.5% of Israelis using shared e-scooter services daily. E-scooters can be located using a free smartphone application, after which they are unlocked and ridden for a nominal fee per minute of use. These scooters are easy to use and achieve a top speed of approximately 24 km/hour.” Be safe, while riding.
How can a personal injury attorney help you?
Demesmin and Dover Law Firm a personal injury law firm with a steadfast commitment to protecting your rights and pursuing justice, we are here to provide unwavering support during your time of need. From car accidents and slip-and-fall incidents to medical malpractice cases we have the expertise and are dedicated to getting you the compensation you deserve, call 866-954-MORE Because, to us, it’s personal.