You see them lined up in a row in many of America’s largest cities. They have a futuristic look to them, almost like replicas of the hoverboard Marty McFly rode in the iconic movie Back to the Future. Energy-efficient electric scooters have made the statement that the future is here, but it comes at a price.
Since arriving in major cities in the United States, like Los Angeles and New York, accidents involving the convenient mode of transportation have increased significantly each year, since 2017. Perhaps it is the sheer volume of electric scooter trips, which has gone from zero to 88 million. However, the primary reason for the rapid rise in electric scooter accidents is because of another mode of transportation, one that requires a different type of fuel for operation.
We are talking about automobiles.
Electric scooter accidents cause a wide variety of injuries, many of which lead to trips to the nearest emergency room. If you have suffered one or more injuries as a result of an electric scooter accident, you might have a strong enough case to file a personal injury lawsuit.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Scooter Accidents?
The significant increase in the use of electric scooters in the United States has also pushed up the number of accidents involving the eco-friendly modes of transportation. Tal Hassid of eAccidents.com says that the causes of accidents they see in their cases is split between rider mistakes and vehicle mistakes.
Unlike being required to have a car license, purchase car insurance in your state, and know the road rules, insurance is not legally necessary to ride an electric scooter in most States.
Let’s take a look at the most common causes of electric scooter accidents on American city roads.
Distracted Driving
From texting and driving to working in lunch while traveling across town to a meeting, distracted driving causes a substantial number of accidents involving an electric scooter. A distracted driving accident can include a simple fender bender at a traffic signal or a serious crash that puts the operator of an electric scooter in the hospital.
Left Turns
This is an especially dangerous cause of an accident at night, when drivers of motor vehicles misjudge how far away an oncoming scooter is from an intersection. From a distance, an electric scooter looks like a bicycle and some drivers of motor vehicles use that perception to calculate how much time they have to move past a traffic signal.
Blind Spots
Despite advancements in auto safety technology like blind-spot monitoring, even the most advanced motor vehicle safety systems do not detect the movement of something as small as an electric scooter. Motorists need to be extra careful driving through city streets, especially when it comes to seeing an oncoming electric scooter.
What Are the Common Injuries Associated with a Scooter Accident?
Electric scooter accidents cause a wide variety of injuries, with the following three types of injuries requiring intensive medical care.
Brain Trauma
Most states have not caught up with the technology that makes electric scooters a popular mode of transportation on American city roads. The result is many operators move around without the safety protection of a helmet. An accident with a motor vehicle or a mishap caused by another factor can leave an operator struggling with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concussions represent one of the most common types of TBIs by accounting for 40 percent of hospital visits by an electric scooter operator.
Back and Neck Injuries
Similar to a bicycle accident, an operator of an electric scooter can land on the neck and/or back, which can trigger a severe spinal cord injury. The spinal cord houses a group of nerves that when disrupted by a significant impact, can produce temporary paralysis. Treatments for a spinal injury include surgery, traction, and/or medications.
Fractures
Most operators of electric scooters do not wear any protective gear. Getting hit by a motor vehicle can launch an operator several feet into the air, with the impact on the ground causing bone fractures. Trying to break a fall leaves the arms highly vulnerable to fractures, particularly the wrists. A severe bone fracture can produce lifelong difficulties that include a permanent inability to control certain body movements.
What Should I Do After an Electric Scooter Accident?
The first thing to do after an electric scooter accident is to seek immediate medical care. Some injuries such as a concussion take time for symptoms to develop. Call 911 and let emergency responders take over. Medical care also provides you with the documentation you need to build a strong insurance claim, as well as a persuasive civil lawsuit.
A call to 911 also alerts law enforcement. A detailed investigation conducted by the local police department yields a comprehensive report that both judges and insurance companies refer to for facts regarding an accident. If your injuries are not life-threatening and you have enough focus and energy, gathering evidence at the scene of the accident can strengthen your claim.
Evidence such as photographs and camera footage provides your personal injury attorney with the evidence required to gain approval for an insurance claim and win a lawsuit filed in a civil court. You should also compile a list of witnesses of the accident that your lawyer interviews to support the evidence collected at the scene.