Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer

Choose a Top Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer

In the past few years, electric scooters have become a rapidly growing form of transportation across the country, but while they are more environmentally friendly, e-scooters can pose serious risks to other riders, pedestrians, and operators of other types of motor vehicles that share the road with them. If you’ve been injured as a result of an e-scooter accident, either as a rider or a pedestrian, a skilled scooter accident lawyer can help you determine if you’re eligible to seek compensation through a scooter accident lawsuit.

Is There a Difference Between a Scooter and a Moped?

Yes. Typically, a moped will be more similar to a motorcycle in design, while a scooter is smaller and may or may not be motorized.

What Is the Difference Between a Moped and a Scooter?

A moped is more akin to a motorized bike, with pedals that you use to help start the vehicle moving. An electric scooter is much smaller and usually has a platform that you stand on. E-scooters are much like the children’s toy version in design, except that once you push off, you hit the throttle and an electric motor takes over.

Are E-Scooters Dangerous?

Electric scooters certainly can be dangerous, especially since they can travel up to 20 mph and be used on roadways where the speed limit is 30 mph or less, for example.  Local statutes may vary those numbers.  In addition, not everyone who uses one wears a helmet, which leaves them vulnerable to potentially devastating head injuries. One study by Rutgers University researchers showed that the number of electric scooter injuries tripled between 2008 and 2018.

How Dangerous Are Electric Scooters?

Electric scooters can be quite dangerous: Fatal accidents and serious scooter injuries are on the rise around the world, and research has shown that being injured on a scooter is significantly more common than being hurt in pedestrian or bicycle accidents. One study even found that a third of e-scooter riders were injured during their very first ride. Falls are the most common e-scooter accident, with about 80% of injuries occurring that way.

Types and Causes of Electric Scooter Accidents

Electric scooter accidents’ statistics show that the injury rate has climbed from 6 per 100,000 people to 19 per 100,000 people in just four years. With e-scooter crashes on the rise, a few common causes stand out:

• Improper or unsafe use of electric scooters due to the user not paying attention to their surroundings, improperly securing their scooter in another motor vehicle, letting multiple users ride on a single scooter or allowing children to use a scooter unsupervised.
• Defects in the scooter itself, which could cause serious problems such as brake failure, battery failure, steering failure, and/or parts of the e-scooter being loose or coming detached mid-ride. In these cases, the manufacturer can be implicated in a product liability lawsuit because they failed to ensure that their product was safe for consumers to use.
• Road hazards that lead to e-scooter accidents, such as low visibility, potholes, debris, construction or bad weather
• Accidents involving other riders, pedestrians or drivers on the road, especially if the electronic scooter rider is not paying attention to where they are riding and/or is in an area that is not designated for scooter-riding. These accidents may involve pedestrians being hit, scooters swerving into traffic to avoid hitting other riders, careless motorists who collide with scooter riders, or even drivers who hit other scooters or pedestrians while trying to avoid an errant scooter.

What Are the Most Common Scooter Injuries?

Electric scooter injury statistics show that there are a variety of ways an individual can suffer an injury due to an electric scooter, such as:

• Fractures and Broken Bones: Fractures are the most common injuries in an electric scooter accident, with more than 40% of all e-scooter crashes resulting in a bone fracture of some sort.
• Concussions and Brain Injuries: Head trauma was the second most commonly reported injury. An electric scooter brain injury can be particularly devastating and have lifelong consequences.
• Cuts, Bruises, and Sprains: More than 25% of people who are in an electric scooter accident suffer lacerations, facial injuries, or other small sprains and injuries.
• Serious Injuries That Require Surgery or Amputation: While not as common as head trauma, bruises, or broken bones, some people who have been in serious e-scooter crashes, especially ones that involved another vehicle, experienced severe injuries that required surgery.

And scooter riders aren’t the only ones who can be hurt in electric scooter accidents: In many cases, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists are injured in accidents involving e-scooter users.

We know that you need to focus on recovering your health at this difficult time, and we’ll prove to you that when you put your trust in us, it’s well-placed. If you’re looking for a scooter or moped accident lawyer, the personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman stand ready to assist you.

Call 800-968-7529 today or fill out our contact form for a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys and we’ll answer any questions you may have, evaluate your case, and help you determine your next steps, all with no obligation.