The newest sensation of traveling is in the form of electric scooters. The most famous of these companies, Bird, has many scooters lining the streets of various locations. Individuals can rent for a minimal fee and then pay per minute to ride. Of course, with the explosion of scooters everywhere, lawmakers need to find ways to enforce that rules and regulations that accompany riding such scooters, while riders themselves need to be aware of the various legal ramifications that come with injury on a Bird. Our team of expert attorneys at Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles can help ensure that you will receive what you rightfully deserve if another party’s negligent actions contributed to injuries while you were riding a Bird scooter. Since the release of the scooters, clients have called us with questions about claims and what steps to take after a bird scooter accident. Some examples of these questions include:
- I was struck by a Bird Scooter. What should I do?
- I was hit by a Bird electric scooter. What do I do?
- What do I do if I got hurt while riding a Bird scooter?
- What should I do if I was riding a Bird Scooter and I fell off and got injured?
- I fell off a Bird scooter. What do I do?
Bird Information
Bird was started by a former employee of both Lyft and Uber. His vision was simple: to ease the burdens of transportation and make affordable ways for individuals to get around. Autonomous travel is also on his agenda, but for now, providing enough Scooters for the hundreds of thousands is the company’s primary goal.
The way Bird works is simple. There are various scooters lying around that can be rented with the use of an app. They cost $1 to unlock and can be ridden for 15 cents per minute thereafter. Once the ride is over, individuals can leave the scooters at the destination, where they can be rented by another person or picked up by someone to be charged.
The company does have a list of terms and conditions as well as rules that should be followed; these rules are actually on the body of the scooter itself. Notably, it says that riders must be over the age of 18, have a valid driver’s license, and must wear a helmet at all times. Other rules prohibit riding on the sidewalk and leaving the scooter in the way of pedestrian traffic.
With Bird being present in so many states, it can be troublesome to understand all the different laws that govern riding on scooters. Laws in California may differ from laws in Texas by a wide margin. Here are some of the locations Bird scooters are present:
In Texas:
- Arlington
- Austin
- Dallas
- Houston
- Alameda
- Plano
In California:
- Alameda
- Albany
- Burlingame
- El Cerrito
- Imperial Beach
- Los Angeles
- Santa Monica
- Beverly Hills
- Monrovia
- Mountain View
- National City
- Oakland
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Mateo
- Santa Monica
- San Francisco
- Lake Tahoe
- Walnut Creek
For more help, contact an attorney that specializes in Electric scooter accident cases.
Accidents and Injuries from Bird Scooters
There are various ways that you can suffer injuries while riding a Bird scooter. You may be on the scooter when you hit a rough patch of the street or an uneven part of the pavement; the scooter could malfunction and stop working, or the brakes could lock up and not stop the scooter when you need to; or you may be hit by a vehicle or struck by some object and fall off the scooter. Further, as a pedestrian, you could easily trip over a scooter if it is not properly stood up in a legal parking location and if it’s sticking out or in the way of foot traffic on the sidewalk. This rider negligence can also lead to accidents.
Some of the injuries you could sustain from Bird accidents include:
- Broken hip
- Broken clavicle
- Sprained ankle
- Broken ankle
- Broken hand
- Broken arm
- Knee injuries
- Concussion
- Closed head injury and traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Cuts, bruises, abrasions, and lacerations
- Facial damage and scarring
- Dislocations
- Nerve damage
You can sue if these damages were particularly extensive or if they had an effect on your daily life and career. A Bird scooter injury lawyer at our law firm in Los Angeles can help you take the necessary actions to sue for your rightful compensation.
What Should I Do If I Was Injured on a Bird Scooter?
If you were injured on a Bird Scooter, you should follow this list of what to do after an accident on Bird – checklist. The checklist is simple: document your evidence, consult with an attorney, contact Bird, and get treated.
Steps to Take in a Bird Accident
- Contact the paramedics or go to the hospital to get treatment. You may want to wait a few days to get treated if you were not seriously injured, but this gap in time can be harmful to your claim.
- Report the accident to Bird so they will be aware of your injuries and your intentions, especially if you plan on filing a claim. This will also enable them to fix the scooter if there were any damage to it.
- Hold on to the item if it were defective or contributed to the accident. If you allow it to be rented by someone else, you won’t have a key piece of evidence that could show that the accident was not your fault and was caused by some other occurrence. If you cannot take the scooter home, you should take photos of the defect, if there was one, or of the damage to the scooter.
- If you were hit by a car or other vehicle, you should contact the police department to help sort out the situation. You should take down the driver’s insurance information and personal details so you can file a claim against his insurance company if necessary.
- Other evidence you can acquire includes pictures of your injuries, photos of involved parties, pictures or videos of the accident scene, eyewitness statements and testimonies, and more.
- Finally, it is crucial that you contact an attorney. We can help you move on to the next part of the legal process and will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about filing a claim. One of our electric scooter accident attorneys can help you file a Bird accident injury lawsuit.
Can You Sue If You Got Injured Riding a Bird Scooter?
Yes, you can sue if you got injured riding a Bird scooter. The circumstances of your accident would determine who the defendant is. For example, if a car struck you, you would likely file a claim against the responsible driver’s insurance company. However, if the scooter were defective in some way, you could file a claim against Bird.
I Got Injured While Riding a Bird Scooter. Do I Need a Lawyer?
If you got injured while riding a Bird scooter, you need a lawyer to ensure that you receive the fairest compensation if you pursue a lawsuit. It can be extremely difficult to take legal action by yourself; you may not have the necessary experience or knowledge required to negotiate a settlement with the insurance agent and you might not be able to handle all of the proceedings if you go to court. A lawyer can handle all of the legal business for you while you focus on healing.
Who Do I Contact at Bird If I Was in an Accident?
You should contact the Bird team; there is a part of the app and website that allows you to file a report, where it will be regarded and handled by their support team. You can contact a lawyer as well to represent you and to communicate with Bird on your behalf.
Earnings from a Bird Scooter Injury Lawsuit
If you sustained any injuries while riding a Bird scooter, you may be able to sue for financial compensation. You could receive various kinds of restitution for your damages. If you follow the steps to take after a Bird injury, you’ll be in good shape and will be in a better position to receive a fair settlement value. Since the lawsuit would be a personal injury claim, you could reasonably attempt to receive the following types of compensation:
- Medical expenses, such as surgery fees, medication costs, hospitalization costs, physical therapy expenses, and future medical bills from any additional treatments
- Property damage if any of your personal belongings were lost or broken in the incident
- Lost wages at work if you were forced to miss days because of medical treatment or recovery from injury, as well as future missed income
- Pain and suffering damages, which includes coverage for emotional trauma, PTSD, anxiety, fear, stress, psychological troubles, and more
It can be difficult to pursue compensation from a Bird scooter accident if you do not have a lawyer, so we recommend hiring one of our skilled attorneys at Normandie Law Firm. We will do our best to secure you the money you deserve.
Length of Time to File a Lawsuit against Bird
The statute of limitations to file a claim against Bird is two years from the date of the injury. If you wait too long, you won’t be eligible to receive any compensation at all and the insurance agency will throw your claim out. The sooner you take legal action, the better chance you have of winning your lawsuit.
There are exceptions to this two year rule, though. For example, if you were underage at the time of the accident, the deadline would not start until the day you turned 18. A troublesome injury that left you physically or mentally incapacitated can also be viable grounds for an extension of the deadline, and it would resume when you returned to health. Additionally, if the defendant left the state or the country, the deadline would be extended.
For more details, call our law offices in Los Angeles. A lawyer will be able to help you determine how much time you have to file a claim.
The Right Firm for Your Needs
At Normandie Law Firm, we pride ourselves on our dedication to our clients. We have spent years handling accident cases and were among the first to deal with a defective Bird scooter injury lawsuit. We know the best ways to secure your fair compensation from the responsible company or entity, and we will not stop until we are satisfied with the settlement offer. Our lawyers are aggressive and experienced, and if we believe that the insurance company is being too resistant and not willing to work with us, we will take your case to court to fight for your rights in front of a judge and jury.
Call us today to set up a free legal consultation with one of our skilled lawyers. You can ask any questions you want to about the way Bird accident lawsuits work, and we will tell you our thoughts on your case and what we believe we can win for you. Our lawyers are transparent and you can always rest assured that you are being given the most accurate information available.
If you choose us to represent you, we’ll give you our zero fee guarantee, which is a promise that you won’t have to spend any money at all to pay for our services. We will only get paid if we win your case, and the settlement will have a portion taken out to cover our expenses. If we lose, you don’t owe us anything at all.
For more information, contact a law firm with experience in Bird scooter injury lawsuits – Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles.
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