What are Injuries Associated With Standing Electric Scooter Use?
Most standing electric scooter, or E-scooter, injuries are minor, but many riders have experienced serious injury. Typical injuries include lacerations, fractures, road rash, head trauma, and contusions. Although rare, fatalities have occurred. Deaths are generally associated with head trauma or a collision with a motor vehicle.
E-scooter injuries are skyrocketing. Between 2014 and 2018, the number of people ending up in the hospital because of E-scooter injuries surged by 222 percent. Approximately one-third of the 39,000 patients treated nationwide for E-scooter injuries in that period suffered from head trauma. Fractures made up just over a quarter of patients going to the emergency room for an E-scooter injury.
A serious E-scooter accident can mean considerable time lost from work and difficulty caring for your family. Insurance companies might deny your claim, while the E-scooter company’s attorney will attempt to exploit loopholes to keep their client from being held accountable. A Los Angeles E-scooter accident attorney at Ellis Injury Law protects your rights and can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Over the past quarter-century, our dedicated lawyers have recovered more than $350 million for clients in verdicts and settlements.
E-Scooter injury causes
Malfunctions are a primary cause of E-scooter injuries. Some E-scooters have a history of brake failure, battery problems, sudden acceleration, and motor failure. There is always the danger that a motor vehicle or bicyclist might hit the E-scooter. The rider may crash because he or she was trying to avoid a collision with a person, vehicle, or solid objects like a wall or tree.
E-scooters are not allowed, or designed, to travel more than 15 miles per hour. Too often, failing brakes or stuck accelerators mean the riders cannot stop the scooter. If these incidents happen when going downhill, the E-scooter can start traveling quite fast, and the passenger gets thrown off or bails for safety’s sake.
Inexperienced riders suffer and cause many E-scooter injuries. For many people, proper handling of these scooters requires practice. Without some basic training, a casual rider can get themselves into trouble with an E-scooter.
It is against the law for E-scooters to travel on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, there are riders who flout that law, and end up striking and injuring pedestrians.
E-scooter injuries are not limited to riders or individuals with whom they collide. While Los Angeles law requires specific placement of these dockless scooters when the rider reaches their destination, inconsiderate riders leave them on sidewalks or walkways. They then become trip hazards for passers-by. Many of the injuries associated with a trip and fall over an E-scooter are similar to those injured when riding.
Dangerous practices
Injuries to both riders and others may occur due to dangerous practices on the part of the rider. Helmets are required by law when riding an E-scooter, but some riders do not cooperate. Other dangerous practices involving E-scooters includes:
- Riding under the influence
- Two people riding one scooter
- Speeding
- Riding on a road with a speed limit above 25 mph
- Riding on uneven terrain
- Performing stunts on scooters
Determining fault
Various parties may prove at fault for E-scooter injuries. Much depends on the circumstances surrounding the accident. Besides the E-scooter company or manufacturer, the rider may be liable if they hit another person or caused a motor vehicle crash to occur.
Some E-scooter injuries happen due to poor road conditions. If the jurisdiction responsible for road maintenance did not make necessary repairs, their insurance carrier should pay for the damages. Sometimes, a private business is involved. Examples include an accident due to debris left in the roadway or overgrown landscaping or signage obstructing the view.
E-Scooter damages
Damages, or compensation, in an E-scooter accident may include:
- Medical bills, present, and future
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
Contact a Los Angeles E-scooter injury lawyer
If you were injured in an E-scooter accident, you need the services of a Los Angeles E-scooter injury lawyer at Ellis Injury Law as soon as possible. We offer free consultations, so call or text us 24/7 and arrange an appointment. You can also submit our online contact form.
After evaluating your case, we will advise you on how to proceed. If we do not recover compensation for you, there are no fees.