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Mar 7, 2022
In February 2018, a report from Curbed Los Angeles noted that Bird, one of the largest e-scooter companies, claimed more than 40,000 active users. The number of e-scooter users in the Los Angeles-area spiked dramatically after Bird began implementing trials in the following locations:
And Los Angeles certainly isn’t the only city to see a dramatic increase in e-scooter usage. In November 2021, the New York Times reported on the proliferation of e-scooters in major metropolitan areas throughout the country. Citing statistics from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), the Times noted that since 2017, “electric scooter share programs had spread to over 100 cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, and Atlanta.”
The NACTO report confirmed that total e-scooter rides surged 130% to 88.5 million in 2019 (up from 38.5 million the prior year).
With e-scooter popularity skyrocketing recently, the number of injuries due to scooter accidents has also increased substantially. Below we will review everything you need to know about California e-scooter accident injury claims, including whether or not you should hire a personal injury attorney, what types of financial damages may be awarded for your case, and how long it may take to reach a settlement. We’ll also provide some important 2022 e-scooter accident injury statistics and review the various types of injuries that often occur as a result of such incidents.
If you live in the Los Angeles-area, you’ve no doubt noticed e-scooters lining virtually every sidewalk in neighborhoods throughout the county. The increase in e-scooter popularity and overall number of riders has led to a correlated increase in injuries – often serious and requiring long-term medical care.
In many instances, e-scooter riders do not have any previous experience operating such vehicles, and are often much more prone to getting into accidents that leads to injuries as a result. Moreover, as California e-scooter helmet laws and operating laws are not well known by many drivers, it may be difficult to determine what to do after an accident that leads to an injury.
California Assembly Bill 2989 (AB 2989) codifies motorized scooter laws, including the use of a helmet and maximum speed. According to California AB 2989, the operator of a motorized scooter shall not do any of the following:
– (a) Operate a motorized scooter unless it is equipped with a brake that will enable the operator to make a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
– (b) Operate a motorized scooter on a highway with a speed limit in excess of 25 miles per hour unless the motorized scooter is operated within a Class II or Class IV bikeway, except that a local authority may, by ordinance or resolution, authorize the operation of a motorized scooter outside of a Class II or Class IV bikeway on a highway with a speed limit of up to 35 miles per hour. The 15 mile per hour maximum speed limit for the operation of a motorized scooter specified in Section 22411 applies to the operation of a motorized scooter on all highways, including bikeways, regardless of a higher speed limit applicable to the highway.
– (c) Operate a motorized scooter without wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212, if the operator is under 18 years of age.
– (d) Operate a motorized scooter without a valid driver’s license or instruction permit.
– (e) Operate a motorized scooter with any passengers in addition to the operator.
– (f) Operate a motorized scooter carrying any package, bundle, or article that prevents the operator from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars.
– (g) Operate a motorized scooter upon a sidewalk, except as may be necessary to enter or leave adjacent property.
– (h) Operate a motorized scooter on the highway with the handlebars raised so that the operator must elevate his or her hands above the level of his or her shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.
– (i) Leave a motorized scooter lying on its side on any sidewalk, or park a motorized scooter on a sidewalk in any other position, so that there is not an adequate path for pedestrian traffic.
– (j) Attach the motorized scooter or himself or herself while on the roadway, by any means, to any other vehicle on the roadway.
Additionally, since the number of e-scooters on California streets has increased, new laws have been implemented in an effort to increase operator safety.
The following laws pertaining to California e-scooter use are in place:
– Minors must wear helmets: According to California Vehicle Code §21235(c), riders under 18 are required to use a bicycle helmet while on an E-scooter. Said bike helmet must fit properly and must be fastened. Adults, however, do not have to comply with this requirement and are free to ride e-scooters without wearing a helmet. Violating this section of the Vehicle Code can lead to a ticket of around $200. Prior to the law taking effect in 2019, the vast majority of e-scooter tickets had been issued for not wearing a helmet.
– Maximum e-scooter speed is 15 miles per hour: California Vehicle Code §22411 places a speed limit of 15 miles per hour on e-scooters. Exceeding this speed limit can result in a traffic stop and a ticket of up to $250.
– E-scooters have to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles: California Vehicle Code §21221 mandates that e-scooters follow the same laws and regulations as motor vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and trucks. The only exception to this law is when those rights or responsibilities of e-scooter drivers “by their very nature, can have no application.” Furthermore, driving an e-scooter under the influence of drugs or alcohol can lead to a DUI charge, as well as a traffic ticket of around $350.
E-scooter accidents may lead to a range of injury types. Some of the more common e-scooter injuries include:
The following e-scooter accident injury and fatality statistics have been confirmed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
* Micro-mobility products include e-scooters such as those models offered by Lime, Bird, Bolt, Spin, Voi, Skip, etc.
Furthermore, between September 1, 2017, and August 31, 2018, researchers from UCLA Health examined data from 249 people who were treated at the emergency departments of their Santa Monica Medical Center and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The study found that about one-third of them arrived by ambulance, an indication of the severity of their injuries.
Additionally, the UCLA Health study confirmed the following e-scooter injury statistics:
A number of e-scooter accident scenarios can lead to various types of crashes – from minor to severe. Some of the more common e-scooter accident types include:
If you’ve suffered an injury while riding an e-scooter, contact a scooter accident lawyer from Dordulian Law Group (DLG) today for a free and no obligation consultation.
Recovering financial compensation for an e-scooter accident injury requires proving that negligence was involved. If someone else’s negligence – whether an individual or an entity/company – caused your e-scooter accident injury, you may be able to recover financial compensation for various losses.
Some common defendants in e-scooter accident injury civil lawsuits include:
E-scooter riders are typically required to sign user agreements prior to operating a vehicle. However, e-scooter user agreements are often long, complex, and difficult to decipher. Moreover, many e-scooter riders do not take the time to properly review such agreements before operating a vehicle.
Speaking with a DLG e-scooter injury lawyer about your case during a free consultation is the best way to determine whether or not a user agreement might impact the value of your claim. Even if you did enter into a legally binding user agreement when renting/operating your e-scooter, you may still be entitled to a financial damages award if you suffered an injury due to negligence. Reach out to a DLG Los Angeles e-scooter accident injury lawyer today to learn more about your legal rights.
The most common examples of e-scooter accident injury damages in civil lawsuits are broken down below according to type.
Common California E-Scooter Accident Injury Economic Damages:
Common California E-Scooter Accident Injury Non-Economic Damages:
Hiring a DLG e-scooter injury lawyer can help ensure your civil claim is maximized, and that you recover all applicable damages after an incident due to negligence. Our Personal Injury Division is led by Sam Dordulian, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County with more than 25 years of experience helping injured victims secure the maximum financial compensation they deserve.
To learn more about how important it can be to have an experienced DLG California e-scooter injury lawyer handling your case, please visit our recent blog on how pain and suffering damages are calculated in personal injury civil claims.
Hiring an e-scooter injury attorney to fight for the maximum financial compensation you deserve can help ensure your accident does not leave you with mounting medical bills or other financial burdens.
But proving liability in a California e-scooter injury case requires skill and experience in order to secure the maximum financial compensation you truly deserve. Fighting to recover intangible and hard to quantify damages such as pain and suffering or emotional trauma can be challenging, and that’s where DLG’s experienced e-scooter injury lawyers can help.
We have the proven results you need for peace of mind throughout every step of the e-scooter injury claims process. We won’t settle for anything less than a maximum financial damages payout for your California e-scooter injury lawsuit – whether the result of an at-fault car, motorcycle, truck, or Uber/Lyft driver. Additionally, if your e-scooter injury was due to a product defect, sidewalk defect, or roadway defect, we will fight to secure you the maximum financial compensation you deserve.
Hiring a DLG e-scooter injury lawyer to handle your claim can be in your overall best interest for a number of reasons. In fact, personal injury victims who hire private attorneys often secure greater financial compensation for their claims.
For example, the Insurance Research Council (IRC) recently conducted a study which confirmed the following personal injury claim statistics:
Reaching out to a member of the DLG e-scooter injury team for a free consultation will ensure you have a full understanding of the legal process. During your free California e-scooter injury consultation, a DLG lawyer will:
With DLG, your e-scooter accident injury consultation is always free, confidential, and without any obligation. We’ll review the facts of your case and provide you with all available legal options to ensure your rights are protected and the maximum financial damages award you deserve is pursued. We serve e-scooter accident injury clients throughout California as well as the United States.
Some of the local areas DLG serves include:
DLG’s founder and president, Sam Dordulian, has more than 25 years of experience and over 100 jury trial victories. Dordulian and the DLG team have successfully litigated major e-scooter accident injury cases, and we will fight hard to obtain the maximum financial compensation you deserve.
DLG’s Los Angeles e-scooter accident injury lawyers have secured more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts for clients while maintaining a 98% success record. With our No Win/No Fee Guarantee, there is never any upfront cost for our expert e-scooter accident injury legal representation, and you never pay a dime until we successfully secure a maximum financial damages award for your claim.
Schedule an appointment online for a free consultation today, or call us directly to speak to our top-rated, expert scooter accident attorneys.
Contact a DLG Los Angeles, California, scooter injury lawyer today at 818-322-4056 to arrange for a free consultation.
Don’t miss the deadline for filing your e-scooter accident injury lawsuit. E-scooter injury victims who fail to file claims within the standard two-year statute of limitations typically waive their right to seek critical financial compensation for damages.
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