Detroit Dockless Scooter Injury Attorneys
Using electric scooters as a means of transportation has become more popular in recent years. Electric scooters are a relatively new phenomenon that has taken over several states and is now spreading across the nation. With an electric scooter, individuals can unlock the scooters using an app and drop them off when they are done with them. While these scooters are advertised as an efficient and cheap method to move around, they present a serious risk of injury. Electric scooters can reduce carbon footprints and make it simple for people to get where they need to go, but it may be a treacherous way to travel.
The dangers of using electric scooters are numerous. Some riders may use the scooters without using helmets or following traffic signs. Riders can endanger themselves or others while riding on sidewalks instead of using roads. Scooters are supposed to be used on bike paths or streets, but some people are nervous about merging with traffic since there is a possibility of sustaining a serious accident with a vehicle.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an electric scooter accident, you should get help from an experienced Detroit scooter injury lawyer who understands the laws regarding these types of traffic accidents. Contact Ravid & Associates, P.C. at (248) 948-9696 for a consultation.
How Our Scooter Injury Attorneys Can Help
Hiring a lawyer to help after an electric scooter accident is a good decision, considering the obstacles you may face. An attorney can investigate an accident claim, establish liability, and negotiate with the insurance companies to ensure that you get the compensation you are owed for your injuries. In the meantime, you can keep the focus on your health and recovery.
If have been severely injured in an electric scooter accident, you may be suffering from physical pain and emotional trauma and dealing with hospital bills and rehabilitation. The last thing you want to do is handle insurance issues, file paperwork, or fight for the money that you are rightfully owed for medical bills, income from missed work, and other expenses.
If you are contacted by an insurer or a scooter rental company, do not make any written or recorded statement until you have secured legal representation. Insurers have been known to persuade victims to accept settlements to resolve these cases quickly, but the settlement offers are often lower than what you may be entitled to receive.
Why Choose Ravid & Associates, P.C.?
Although injuries on a scooter are sometimes unavoidable, these accidents may also be caused by the negligence of the company or another driver. Our injury lawyers have more than 180 years of combined experience assisting clients in the Detroit area and throughout the state of Michigan. The founding partner, David Lawrence Ravid is admitted to practice before Michigan State and Federal Courts. He is also appointed by attorneys around the state to serve as an arbitrator and act as a Case Evaluator for the Wayne and Macomb County Circuit Courts. In his many years of service, Mr. Ravid has obtained many successful settlements for personal injury cases throughout Detroit and Michigan.
Our lawyers can pursue the compensation that you need after being injured due to another party’s or company’s negligence. We will fight for your rights if you are seriously hurt in a scooter accident. When filing a lawsuit, there are important deadlines that must be met to successfully file a claim. A skilled attorney can help you meet these crucial timelines to ensure you get the justice you deserve. Call Ravid & Associates, P.C. at (248) 948-9696 to speak with our Detroit scooter injury attorneys about your scooter injury case.
Dockless Scooter Companies in Detroit
Dockless scooters are most popular among younger people because they are app-based, motorized, and convenient. The primary scooter companies in Detroit are Bird and Lime. Another company, Spin, is expected to add over 300 electric scooters to the metro area in the upcoming months, providing more competition and the possibility of more accidents.
To use electric scooters, a rider must first sign up with a smartphone app. The scooters are unlocked using the app and are available for rental by the minute with the use of a credit card. Riders can travel to their desired destination, lock the scooter with the app, and then leave the electric scooter at another location for someone else to use.
While scooter rental companies maintain the illusion that the welfare of a scooter user is their primary concern, this is not usually the case. Prior to operation, a rider must sign a rental agreement before being allowed to use the scooter. The agreement certifies that the rider is at least 18 years old and capable of handling an electric scooter on their own. The rider also agrees to comply with all traffic rules and regulations, which include using a helmet.
With users signing this agreement, it may seem as if the rental companies are concerned for riders’ safety. However, this contract is only intended to shield the companies from liability if a person suffers devastating injuries while in an electric scooter collision. In addition, there are also few regulations in place regarding the use of electric scooters, so laws regarding electric scooter accidents are not always crystal clear.
Types of Scooter Accidents
Electric scooters can go as fast as 25 miles per hour, although it is recommended that a rider not go over 15 miles per hour. As well as posing a danger to themselves, riders that use scooters can cause harm to pedestrians and vehicles around them. A person may not only suffer injuries from a collision but also from tripping over a scooter left on a sidewalk, operating a scooter that malfunctions, or dealing with dangerous conditions on the road.
Scooters that collide with vehicles on the road are the most severe types of accidents that can cause major injuries. A scooter user is not offered the same level of protection that is afforded to motor vehicle passengers. Riders are more susceptible to devastating injuries in scooter crashes involving vehicles or pedestrians.
The most common reasons for scooter accidents include the following:
- Reduced Visibility — Since scooters are quite small, other drivers are less likely to spot them. Electric scooters can be hidden by shrubbery, buildings, or other objects near or on the roadway.
- Lack of protection — Because there is no protective barrier between a scooter operator and the road, riders often do not have protection. Unlike passengers in a car, there are no safety features like airbags or seat belts. Most riders do not wear helmets, even though state law requires that they do.
- Unsafe Road Conditions — Scooter riders may have an accident due to hitting or swerving to avoid gravel, debris, potholes, or uneven surfaces.
- Instability — A scooter can become wobbly and unstable since it is equipped with only two wheels, and it could also lock up during emergency braking or swerving.
- Lack of Experience — A huge percentage of electric scooter operators have not used a scooter before, and licensing or training for operation is not required. Most riders simply use the app and ride the scooter without proving an ability to do so safely.
- High-risk behavior — Since most scooter riders are younger, they may push the boundaries while operating a scooter by riding on the sidewalk, operating the scooter with more than one rider, riding against traffic, or using the scooter while impaired or without a helmet.
- Vandalization— Some people vandalize scooters or severely damage them. An unsuspecting rider can use one of these scooters with disastrous results.
Types of Scooter Injuries
According to an article in the Washington Post, several emergency rooms across the country have reported a 161 percent spike in scooter injuries over a four-month time span in 2017, with more serious injuries occurring every day in the United States.
The most common types of electric scooter injuries are:
- Sprains, strains, and fractures
- Severe road rashes
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Damage to internal organs
- Head and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
Some injuries may heal in a short amount of time, but it is possible that victims may suffer injuries that last for the rest of their lives. Catastrophic injuries will most often require long periods of hospitalization and rehabilitation. Accident victims may not be able to return to work or maintain a job at all. Huge medical bills and lost income from work will pose a serious financial burden to individuals that have severe injuries.
Contact Our Detroit Scooter Injury Attorneys Today
If you were hurt on a Bird, Lime, or another dockless scooter, or have a loved one who was killed in a scooter accident, contact the attorneys at Ravid & Associates, P.C. Our Detroit scooter injury lawyers assist individuals that were hurt on scooters in communities all over the Detroit area and the state of Michigan.
If you have suffered because of someone else’s negligence, do not hesitate to act right away. Call us at (248) 948-9696 or contact us online to have our attorneys provide an honest evaluation of your case today.