E-Scooter Accidents

Serving Injured Victims Across New York For Over 40 Years

Electric sharable scooters have become the hottest transportation trend in major metro areas across the country. While they’re a fun, affordable, and environmentally friendly way to get around town, e-scooters pose serious risks to riders and others with whom they share the roads and walkways, especially when negligent individuals or entities fail to uphold their duty of care.

If you were injured in a scooter accident in New York, you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries by pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. As civil claims (known as “torts”), personal injury suits provide an opportunity for victims to obtain justice against a negligent party, and to hold that party liable for damages they suffered. Making the most of this opportunity and prevailing in a claim, however, requires experienced advocacy and representation.

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The Perecman Firm, proudly serves clients throughout all NYC boroughs and beyond, and is available 24/7 to discuss your accident, legal options, and how we might be able to help. Call (212) 577-9325 or contact us online for a FREE consultation.

Scooter Accidents & Preventable Injuries

Though e-scooters from companies like Bird, Lime, Lyft, and other start-ups have become immensely popular in such a short period of time, their potential for posing serious risks is already apparent. Across the nation, doctors and ER departments are reporting massive increases in the number of scooter accident victims they treat, many of whom with severe injuries akin to those suffered in car accidents. These often include:

Fractures and broken bones
Concussions / brain injuries
Burn injuries
Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
Lacerations, dental, and facial injuries
Injuries requiring surgery or amputation

These and other serious injuries aren’t just experienced by riders. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and even motorists can suffer harm in preventable accidents involving e-scooters. Some of the most common scenarios we see in scooter accident cases include:

Pedestrian accidents – Pedestrians are by far the most vulnerable people on public roads and walkways, and they face many risks posed by e-scooters. From riders who negligently or unlawfully operate scooters to abandoned “dockless” e-scooters which create slip, trip, and fall hazards, scooter-pedestrian accidents can occur in a number of ways.
Bicycle accidents – Because e-scooters are capable of reaching speeds upwards of 15 mph, they’re often operated in bike lanes. That can be a major hazard for cyclists who are struck by negligent riders, forced out of bike lines and into the path of motor vehicles, run off the road into structures or objects, or suffer injuries in other types of bicycle accidents.
Motor vehicles – Though motorists have the benefit of being shielded by their vehicles, they can still face considerable risks of suffering harm in accidents caused or contributed to by e-scooters, such as riders who negligently operate their rides, violate traffic laws, or commit other risky behaviors that may cause motorists to crash or collide with other vehicles, commercial trucks, or structures.
Unsafe scooters – The companies which create e-scooters and make them available to the public have obligations to ensure they’re safe for their intended use, and that they’re properly maintained and in good working order. Should a defectively designed, manufactured, or marketed scooter cause harm, or a scooter in disrepair malfunction while riders are using them, accidents and injuries can result. These situations may implicate product liability laws, and claims against companies that failed to ensure their products’ safety.
Scooter chargers – Many sharable e-scooter companies depend on people to pick up dockless scooters in order to charge them in their homes. Known as “juicers,” these people are compensated for doing so, but can face risks of injuries, especially when defective scooters or charging batteries cause fires and / or burn injuries.
Riders being struck by vehicles – Because they’re small and difficult to see, scooter riders face risks similar to bicyclists and pedestrians when it comes to being struck by careless, distracted, and negligent motorists. In fact, many of the most highly publicized scooter accident cases have involved scooter riders being struck by vehicles in crosswalks, parking lots, and other areas of the road. Just as with pedestrians and cyclists, riders have little to protect them against serious injuries or death when involved in car accidents.

New Industry, New Legal Challenges

The risks for accidents and injuries associated with e-scooters are becoming more apparent, and more common. Given the novelty of these devices and their rapid infiltration into cities nationwide, local governments and lawmakers are struggling to address the new issues and legal challenges they’re creating – especially in terms of accidents and liability. In New York, for example, it is currently illegal to operate e-scooters on public streets, though local law enforcement has curbed their policing of e-scooter use following new support from City Council and proposed legislation which may soon make these devices legal citywide.

Though e-scooters often fall within a legal grey area, and the laws regarding them are still being shaped, private individuals, businesses, property owners, motorists, and product manufacturers still have legal duties when it comes to taking reasonable steps to ensure safety. Should another party fail to uphold that duty and negligently cause preventable injuries, victims may have rights to seek compensation through the civil justice system with claims such as:

Overcoming the unique issues and legal challenges in scooter accident cases can be a complex endeavor, and one which is often complicated by corporations and insurance companies that care more about protecting their profits than fairly paying injured victims and their families. At The Perecman Firm, our New York City scooter accident attorneys have the experience and insight to help victims explore their rights and options for holding negligent parties accountable for their damages – including their medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Call (212) 577-9325 or complete an online case evaluation form to request your free consultation with a member of our team. We’re available to help 24/7, and handle accidents throughout all boroughs and beyond.

Request a Free Review of Your Case: (212) 577-9325

The Perecman Firm, has been fighting for injured victims across New York City since 1983, and has seen the evolution of transportation trends, novel advancements in technology, and new laws regarding safety and liability. Having recovered over half a billion dollars in compensation for our clients, we have proven our ability to overcome challenging legal hurdles, effectively advocate on our clients’ behalves, and fight for the compensation victims deserve.