Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer

The novelty of dockless scooter rentals means legal and insurance grey areas. Unfortunately, riders may not realize the consequences of these untried spaces. When you own your electric scooter, it’s easy to settle insurance matters; you either choose and pay for a policy or you don’t. If you rent an e-scooter, it’s up to the rental company to obtain coverage. Unfortunately, that coverage may not offer as much protection as you’d hope.

Collisions between e-scooter riders, pedestrians, motor vehicles and stationary property can get messy, especially since laws governing electric scooters vary by municipality. To ensure you receive the compensation to which you’re entitled, it’s essential to contact an electric scooter accident lawyer in the following circumstances.

You Sustain an Injury or Emotional Distress

Despite head injuries being common in e-scooter collisions, most states don’t have a helmet requirement. Without these laws in place, riders may not understand the danger of foregoing head protection. The result is preventable brain trauma that can have lifelong consequences.

Of course, head injuries aren’t the only danger. Other common e-scooter accident injuries require significant recovery time and can interfere with daily life:

• Broken bones
• Spinal cord damage
• Neck and back injuries
• Lacerations and road rash
• Internal injuries

Unfortunately, many people don’t have the funds to cover extensive medical bills, especially if they must take time off work. The good news is that insurance companies may cover medical bills depending on the state and circumstances. In no-fault states, insurance must cover these expenses regardless of which party is at fault.

States with fault-based systems only require insurance companies to pay if their client is at fault for the accident. This may mean a longer claims process as the companies argue about which is responsible for expenses. If the other party’s insurance refuses to pay, an electric scooter accident lawyer can help you force the issue through a civil suit.

It’s important to note that not all injuries are physical. Survivors of e-scooter collisions can experience detrimental mental health issues:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

While these conditions may not be immediately visible, they profoundly affect daily life. For survivors adjusting to a new disability or chronic condition, mental health issues can hit especially hard. These struggles can also affect personal relationships, affecting entire families and friend groups.

The courts recognize the material impact of emotional distress, but proving the cause and severity can be difficult. If you find yourself in this situation, an e-scooter accident lawyer can help you present your case based on previous rulings.

Your Insurance Company Gives You Pushback

As much as insurance companies claim to put their customers first, they’re still businesses at their cores. Every business aims to make money, and that’s a tall order when part of the business plan is paying tens of thousands of dollars for medical and repair bills. As a result, some insurance companies may deny claims to protect their bottom lines.

That’s where your electric scooter accident lawyer comes in. Pushing back on legitimate claims is a well-known tactic for insurance companies; they’re counting on you being too tired, stressed and injured to complete the complex appeal process. Even if you successfully jump through all the right hoops, you may still not receive everything you’re due.

An experienced attorney knows companies’ dirty tricks and can help you navigate systems purposely created to deter you. In some cases, your insurer may find it less costly to simply settle than deal with a drawn-out civil suit, allowing you to save time and money.

You Discover the Manufacturer or Rental Company Was Negligent

Sometimes, an electric scooter accident isn’t a rider’s or third party’s fault. Defective parts, subpar manufacturing and lax maintenance can undermine the machine’s integrity, causing riders to lose control. When this happens, you may have a case against the manufacturer or rental company.

The crux of the matter is proving negligence, which requires the help of an electric scooter accident lawyer. When companies provide goods and services, they accept a duty of care to ensure those goods and services don’t cause harm. For an e-scooter rental company, that means purchasing models with no known safety issues and keeping up with maintenance. For manufacturers, that means limiting risk through safety tests and other forms of due diligence.

E-scooters undergo a lot of stress from frequent use, weather exposure and improper handling. These machines inevitably break down as their components corrode or wear away, increasing the likelihood of catastrophic failure with every use. Rental companies know this is an issue and, therefore, should have a system to identify scooters needing repairs. If they fail to do so, and you can prove that their lapse caused you harm, you may be able to sue successfully.

Manufacturers face a similar standard. If a company produces products it knows are defective or dangerous, it may be liable for harm caused. You may also have a case if your electric scooter accident lawyer can prove that the manufacturer didn’t necessarily know of the danger but failed to perform reasonable tests to ensure the product was safe.

While you have the option to face down an insurance company, e-scooter manufacturer or rental business on your own, doing so will be a tough battle with unfavorable odds. Corporations usually have experienced attorneys, meaning you can lose a case (even if you’re in the right) simply because you lack the legal expertise to argue your side.

A lawyer knows proper court proceedings, has the resources to research applicable laws and can construct a solid argument against the defendant. Attorneys also have a team of paralegals and assistants to help them build your case, ensuring a stronger argument in a shorter amount of time.

Knowing your electric scooter accident lawyer has everything in hand provides peace of mind so that you can focus on recovery. Your attorney can also set you at ease by explaining the legal process and your options. With an experienced lawyer in your corner, you can feel confident in your decisions.

Finally, attorneys can help you negotiate a substantial settlement. Though many companies prefer to settle rather than risk a public hearing, both sides must agree to the terms. An experienced lawyer can recognize unfair terms and ensure you get a fair deal.