At the offices of William Rawlings & Associates, we’re proud to provide high-quality personal injury attorney services for every type of vehicle accident out there. We handle everything from car and truck accident liability cases to motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and even bicycle accidents when they take place.
Our team is also well aware of several emerging technologies in this and related areas, and the world of electric scooters is a great example. These vehicles, which have been around for about a decade but are only becoming popular transportation devices within the last few years, come with uncertain laws and regulations regarding their safe use – and this can mean that when accidents take place involving these machines and resulting injuries, parsing out liability and personal injury claims can be a bit different than other vehicle accidents. Let’s go over what we know about scooter accidents, including the potentially liable parties and how to handle making a claim.
Electric scooters are not even properly classified as vehicles in all states, but they can still be part of accidents and cause injury. Some of the common causes of scooter accidents include:
· Young, inexperienced or distracted drivers
· Drivers using mobile devices or other distractions
· Potholes, bumps, litter and other forms of debris on the road
· Mechanical malfunctions to the scooter
· Pedestrians walking in front of the scooter
· Scooters parked incorrectly or dangerously
· Riders swerving to avoid traffic conditions and falling
As a result of scooter accidents, injuries may range from minor or nonexistent all the way up to severe, including potential head injuries. But as we noted, determining liability here might be a bit tougher due to limited regulations in play.
There are three broad parties who could be responsible for an accident involving an electric scooter:
· Rider: Riders are often responsible, especially if they’re riding while distracted, riding in crowded areas, or riding without a helmet on. They can be liable for damage or injuries caused to others or their property during these situations.
· Others on the road: In other cases, negligence by another driver, motorcycle rider or even pedestrian could cause the accident, and this party may be at fault.
· Scooter manufacturer: If a scooter accident takes place and the cause is found to be related to unsafe manufacturing or defective parts, the manufacturer may be held liable.
As we’ve discussed here, the law for scooter accidents is not fully defined yet in most areas. Some localities consider them closer to bicycles and prefer their use in bike lanes, others term them as normal vehicles, and still others have no regulations in place whatsoever at this point. For this reason, it’s vital to retain a personal injury attorney if you or someone you love is injured in a scooter-related incident – whether the scooter is theirs or someone else’s.
For more on electric scooter liability, or to learn about any of our personal injury services, speak to the staff at the offices of William Rawlings & Associates today.