In recent years, many companies have begun providing the community to access to electric vehicle in exchange for a small fee. These electric scooters have proven to be an effective alternative method of transportation and is popular among many – especially those who are environmentally conscious.
Although electric scooters have been a hit, there are many issues surrounding the industry. Although there are many rules and regulations that apply to electric scooters and their users, regulations are not always followed or enforced, and many people have been harmed because of it.
Accidents involving electric scooters have become, regretfully, very common. Innocent and unsuspecting individuals have suffered scooter accidents, suffered a number of injuries, and have even lost their lives. If you or a member of your family suffered any type of harm is a scooter accident, it is essential that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible.
You can trust the experts at Normandie Law Firm to handle your claim and provide you with the legal assistance that you need to take legal action and fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve. For more information, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today.
About Electric Scooters
In recent years, electric scooters have popped up all over Los Angeles. These electric scooters promote a quick and easy method of last-mile transportation. The scooters have two wheels with a foot stand and handlebars that allow riders to use without having to use much effort. Some models have seats, while others have phone-pockets, baskets, larger tires, and bright headlamps, for example.
Most electric scooters can travel between 15 and 18 mph. Their batteries are long-lasting and are typically recharged in the homes of independent contractors (who pick up the scooters, charge them, and drop the off at designated locations).
In Los Angeles, eight different companies are allowed to operate and have scooters on the streets. These companies include the following: Lime, Bird, Sherpa, Lyft, Jump, Spin, Bolt, and Wheels. Each of these companies is allowed to have up to 3,000 scooters on the streets (with an additional 2,500 in underprivileged communities and up to 5,000 in the region of the San Fernando Valley).
These companies use different brands of scooters with different features. However, these companies all have one thing in common – they must adhere to the strict scooter regulations established by the city.
Important Scooter Regulations in Los Angeles
Many scooter users are unaware of the different rules and regulations relevant to riding a scooter. There are rules and regulations from everything from parking the scooters to riding the scooters. These rules and regulations are part of official state laws as well as company recommendations. Ultimately, the purpose of the many rules and regulations is to keep everyone safe.
Consider the following scooter rules and regulations:
- Rider’s must have a valid driver’s license or learners permit to ride an electric scooter
- Riders must dismount and walk scooters across crosswalks
- Riders must keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all time
- Riders must not attach the scooter to other vehicles (e.g. grabbing onto a moving car while on the scooter)
- Riders must not be under the influence (of drugs or alcohol) while riding a scooter
- Riders must stay close to the right side of the road (as long as it is safe and reasonable to do so)
- Riders under the age of 18 are required to wear a helmet
- Scooters cannot be ridden on sidewalks
- Scooters do not have any insurance, registration, or license plate requirements
- Scooters must be equipped with kill switches that turn off the motor when the brakes are applied by the rider
- Scooters must be equipped with white headlights (on the front of the scooter), red reflectors (on the rear of the scooter), and white/yellow reflectors (on the sides of the scooters). These requirements do not apply when the ride is wearing high-visibility clothing (like reflecting vests or jackets)
- Scooters must be parked correctly (scooter parking is prohibited near ADA ramps, blocking pathways/sidewalks, in front of driveways, in front of crosswalks, along specific colored curbs, at transit stops, on narrow sidewalks, or on landscaped areas)
- Scooters should not be ridden on roads where posted speed limits are higher than 25 mph (with the exception of roads with bike lanes)
- Scooters should not exceed speeds of 15 mph
- Tandem riding (riding with passengers) is strictly prohibited
- The handlebars on scooters must not be higher than the rider’s shoulders
- The minimum age to ride a scooter is 16
Unfortunately, most of these laws and regulations are blatantly ignored. It is no wonder that scooter accidents are so common.
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The Risk of Accidents
Scooter accidents are, unfortunately, very common. They can occur at any time. Consider the following situations that could occur because of electric scooters:
- Rider crashes into a pedestrian
- Rider crashes into the door of a parked car that suddenly opens
- Rider is struck by a motorized vehicle
- Rider is unable to brake due to a faulty scooter
- Rider loses control of the scooter after a wheel falls off
- Unproperly parked scooters fall onto a pedestrian walking by
- Unproperly parked scooters cause a pedestrian to trip and fall
If you or a member of your family was involved in a scooter accident similar to any of the situations listed above, you might have grounds to pursue a claim.
The Risk of Injuries
Many people like to disregard the severity of scooter accidents; however, scooter accidents could result in real injuries that could change the lives of victims forever (if they even survive the accident).
Scooter accidents ca result in some of the following injuries:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Ocular injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Fractures
- Hip injuries
- Pelvic injuries
- Knee injuries
- Severed limbs/digits
- Lacerations
- Nerve injuries
- Ligament damage
- Muscle damage
- Organ damage
Victims could suffer injuries so severe that they could lead to coma or even death. Regardless of the specific type of harm that you or a member of your family suffered, you might have grounds to pursue a claim.
Your Right to Sue – Understanding Liability
If you were involved in a scooter accident, do you have the right to sue for the harm suffered? Your right to sue for the harm resulting from a scooter accident will always be based on the specific circumstances surrounding your claim.
If you are interested in learning about your right to sue, it is essential that you have a though understanding of liability. Liability is based on negligence, which is based on four elements: duty of care, breach of duty, cause, and harm. A party owes you a duty of care; the party breaches the duty of care and causes an incident. You suffer harm because of the incident. The harm that you suffered is a direct result of the breached duty of care. If all for elements of negligence are present in your claim, you could sue the party that breached the duty of care towards you and contributed to the harm that you suffered.
Who could you sue? Who could be liable for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered? The answer to these questions depend strictly on the details surrounding your accident.
Consider the following points:
- You could sue a driver that was driving recklessly and crashed into you while you were riding the scooter
- You could sue the scooter rider that was being reckless and crashed into you while you were walking on the sidewalk as a pedestrian
- You could sue the scooter company if the scooters that were incorrectly parked caused you to trip and fall while you were walking on a sidewalk as a pedestrian
- You could sue the scooter company if the a defect present in the scooter caused you to lose control and crash while you were riding the scooter
If you would like to learn more about establishing liability and your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue your claim.
Could I Recover Any Compensation?
You were involved in a scooter accident; could you recover monetary compensation? Do you have the right to recover compensation for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered? Depending on the details surrounding your scooter accident claim, you might be eligible to recover monetary compensation for at last some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
To learn more about the specific type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to recover, it is essential that you seek legal assistance immediately for a thorough evaluation of your claim. If you would like to allow our lawyers to handle your claim, you can be certain that our scooter accident lawyers will do everything within their reach to help you recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim.
For more information about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive if your claim reaches a successful outcome, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today.
What is the Deadline to File a Scooter Accident Claim?
If you were harmed in a scooter accident, you will likely have grounds to pursue a claim; however, failing to file your claim within the appropriate length of time could result in losing the right to sue. All claims are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to file their claims; this ensures that claims are filed promptly.
What is the deadline that applies to your claim? In California, claims arising from the injuries or death of a victim associated with the negligence of a party or entity are usually subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants will only have two years to file their claims. However, certain exceptions could apply; if exceptions apply, the total length of time that you have to file your claim could be affected.
To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to pursue your claim, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information that you need to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the specific length of time that you have to file your claim. For more information, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.
Contact Our Firm Today
Were you or a member of your family involved in an e-scooter accident? If you or a member of your family suffered an accident associated with an electric scooter, you might have grounds to pursue a claim. Depending on the details surrounding your claim and the harm that you suffered, you might also be eligible to recover monetary compensation upon reaching a successful claim outcome. If you would like to learn more about your right to sue after being affected by accident surrounding an electric scooter, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our firm as soon as possible.
The experts at Normandie Law Firm have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims. Since the surge of electric scooters being ridden on our roads, our lawyers have relentlessly gathered all relevant information and have become experts of the laws and regulations that apply to electric scooters and their users. When you allow our lawyers to handle your claim, you can be certain that you will have expert representation. If you would like to discuss your claim with the electric scooter accident attorneys at our firm, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
At Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers are dedicated to providing all affected parties with the representation necessary to pursue their claims. Therefore, our firm offers free legal services – including free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns; this all allow our electric scooter attorneys to provide you with all the information that you need to start or continue your claim against the party or entity liable for the harm that you suffered.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that allows affected parties to benefit from our legal expertise without ever having to worry about paying upfront legal fees. Our firm is also strictly based on a contingency structure, meaning that our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will not have to pay anything. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts and start or continue your claim for the harm that you suffered because of a scooter accident, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
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