Are Electric Scooters in Cleveland Dangerous?
Posted in: Scooter Accidents
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We live in an economy in which it is often better to rent something when you only need it rather than buy the item. Look how popular ride and vehicle-sharing services are. Around the U.S., people are using Uber, Lyft, Turo, Car to Go, ReachNow, and Zipcar to avoid the cost of owning vehicles. Now, the concept of renting vehicles for a brief trip has expanded to bicycles and electric scooters.
Bird scooters are available in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Oxford. Lime bikes and scooters can be found in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dublin, and Worthington. While many people may enjoy grabbing a scooter while on the go, particularly teenagers and college students, these are not always the safest mode of transportation. When you are using an electric scooter, you are largely unprotected.
Even with a helmet on, you could suffer serious injuries in an accident. Being hit by a car could be catastrophic. If you’re dealing with such a situation, you should contact our scooter accident lawyers right away.
Electric scooters have become very popular in various cities in 2018. If you do not have a car of your own, or it is not worth driving a short trip, grabbing an electric scooter can be handy and fun. However, certain areas are finding that riders are getting hurt.
Some of the most common scooter accidents involve:
If you were recently involved in a Bird or Lime scooter crash and suffered an injury, do not hesitate to call our Scooter accident lawyers. At Kisling, Nestico & Redick, our personal injury lawyers have closely followed the implementation and growing popularity of scooters in Ohio.
We have kept a close eye on how they operate, the accidents they are involved in, and the outcomes of related legal claims. We have the legal knowledge and insights you need to pursue compensation after a dangerous scooter accident.
Rentable electric scooters are too new for there to be accurate statistics on related accidents, injuries, and deaths. However, hospitals, physicians, and local authorities have noticed an issue in cities where Bird and Lime have set up. Multiple deaths have been attributed to the Lime and Bird scooter crashes, even in Ohio. Because of the number of problems cities are seeing with these scooters, many people believe they may be more dangerous than bicycles. There are many probable reasons for this.
Our scooter accident lawyers have seen injuries on these vehicles caused by:
Scooters are small, and vehicle drivers are not trained to look for them. This lack of visibility on the road increases the risk of a rider getting hit by a car.
Bicycles are relatively stable, based on the size and width of their wheels, and most people who bike around town know what they are doing. Scooters, however, are not very stable. The two wheels are very small. They feel every bump in the road, which is why a crack or bump in the pavement can be devastating for a rider. The small wheels are also prone to locking up when a rider needs to swerve or brake quickly.
Not everyone cycling through Ohio’s cities and towns is highly experienced. However, many people who choose to bike on a consistent basis are well aware of how their bike functions and how to ride safely with traffic. Since they are so new, scooters do not have experienced riders yet. Anyone who is at least 18 years old can download the app, put in a credit card number, and hop on. No prior experience or training is necessary. This means inexperienced riders are getting onto electric scooters that can go up to 20 mph and are riding among other vehicles.
Scooters face a similar issue to bicycles: there is nothing between the rider and a vehicle or road. If you are in a Lime or Bird scooter crash, you will get hurt, which could be serious. The scooters are meant to be picked up and rented on the fly. Most riders are not wearing any safety equipment or even appropriate clothing. Though the companies may encourage riders to bring their own helmets, and Bird offers free helmets to riders who will pay the shipping, many riders do not own a helmet or carry one with them.
People often rent scooters because they want to quickly get from point A to point B. Since the vehicles are small, riders may try to rush by riding on the sidewalks or in bike lanes, weaving in and out of traffic, or riding between lanes and vehicles, also known as lane splitting. All of this risky behavior increases the chance of a vehicle crash.
If you were in a scooter accident caused by any of the above behaviors, call our Scooter accident lawyers immediately to learn more about your legal options.
Our statewide practice is designed to make going through an injury claim more convenient and accessible for victims. With 12 Ohio locations, KNR is a call or click away.
*KNR also serves Ohio’s rural counties & conducts consultations via Zoom.
Even when riders operate e-scooters safely, a collision with a car, bicycle, or pedestrian can still happen. Regardless of how the circumstances, if you were hurt, you’ll need to establish liability to recover compensation.
If you were a pedestrian who was struck by an e-scooter, the rider may have been careless while operating it. It’s not uncommon to see impaired people on e-scooters or even otherwise being unsafe. If you can prove the rider was negligent, you can potentially hold them financially liable for your injuries. You may also be able to recover compensation through your own insurance with an uninsured motorist claim if you carry that type of coverage.
If you were riding an e-scooter and hit by another driver and can demonstrate that the other driver was negligent, you may be able to pursue an insurance claim against their policy. Examples of careless driving that may lead to an accident with an e-scooter include speeding, distracted driving, drifting into the bike lane, and impaired driving, among others.
While e-scooters are durable and designed to be shared, e-scooters still require routine maintenance to ensure they are safe to operate. The e-scooter company may have made an error that led to the e-scooter malfunctioning for failing to perform necessary repairs. If you can show the scooter was unsafe and the company should have known about the issue, you may be able to file a claim against the e-scooter company or manufacturer.
The city where you were riding can also be hold some the blame for an e-scoter accident in some situations. For instance, the municipality may have neglected road repairs, creating an unsafe environment to operate an e-scooter. If unsafe conditions, such as potholes or cracked pavement, led to your accident and injuries, you might be able to pursue compensation against the city where the e-scooter accident took place
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Fight for Everything You’re Owed
When you are injured in an electric scooter crash that is another person’s fault, then our scooter accident lawyers can represent you in pursuit of compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial injuries.
Through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, we will fight hard for you to receive compensation for your:
Every situation is different, but you are entitled to pursue financial compensation for all the various losses and negative effects an accident had on your life. This is largely influenced by the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, the financial impact on your life, the nature of the accident, and various other contributing factors.
The best way to get an accurate picture of what you can expect is to review your situation with a knowledgeable legal professional.
Accidents involving electric scooters are more common than you might think but dealing with the aftermath is a complicated ordeal. Let our accident lawyers address your questions and explain your options.
One 2020 study found that e-scooter injuries in the U.S. climbed from 4,582 in 2014, before ride-share scooter companies were prominent, to 14,651 in 2018, when they had become far more common.
The top speed of most e-scooters is approximately 30 mph. And with little to no protection for riders, any collision at this speed can cause severe injury. The main cause of e-scooter crashes are human error related to road hazards, hitting car doors, swerving to avoid other pedestrians and vehicles, and operators losing their balance.
Your ability to file a personal injury claim and seek compensation after an e-scooter accident will depend on the details and insurance coverage involved. Whether you are a rider, who was struck by a negligent motorist, a pedestrian hit by someone operating a scooter carelessly, or you believe your scooter malfunctioned, it’s best to consult a lawyer about your options.
Our 36-year-old client was visiting a private home to pick up a customer’s dog for dog training. As…
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If you suffered a Lime or Bird scooter injury while renting an electric scooter, we recommend contacting our scooter accident lawyers. It is important to find out who is at fault for the crash as soon as possible. When another person is at fault, or if you were on a defective scooter, then you may be able to pursue compensation from either the company or the at-fault party.
Our Lime and Bird scooter accident attorneys are highly experienced in investigating motor vehicle crashes. We will gather as much evidence as we can, including:
By gathering and analyzing all of this evidence, we will understand how and why your scooter crash occurred. We will also determine whether another party was at fault. If so, we can advise you on the best way to move forward and pursue compensation.
Expect More from Your Lawyer.
To learn how we can help if you’re injured after renting an electric scooter, call 1-800-HURT-NOW or fill out our online form for a free initial consultation with our Ohio personal injury lawyers. At Kisling, Nestico & Redick, we will use every available resource so you recover physically and financially.
