If you’re trying to save money on gas or simply enjoy the fresh air a bit more, you may have adopted an electric scooter as a mode of transport. These scooters have become popular in large cities and areas with many commuters. While they’re a convenient way to travel, unfortunately, they leave you vulnerable to serious injuries from accidents.
Accidents on scooters tend to produce life-altering injuries. If you’re the victim of a scooter accident, review the prevalent injuries resulting from these events — and how you can begin moving forward with a scooter accident lawyer.
How Do Scooter Accidents Typically Occur?
Scooter accidents may be due to a range of causes, some of which are the fault of another driver and others of which are due to the scooter rider’s negligence. Here are a few common causes of accidents on scooters:
- Distracted driving: Drivers often fail to notice scooters when they are distracted by their phones or events happening outside their vehicles.
- Poor road conditions: A scooter rider may crash if they run over a pothole or attempt to ride over rough or uneven pavement.
- Pedestrian negligence: Scooter drivers still need to follow traffic laws; failing to stop at stop signs, use turn signals, and merge carefully can result in accidents.
- Adverse weather: Snow, rain, and icy roads can make operating your scooter safely a challenge. Other drivers may not see you in poor weather conditions, causing them to strike you when changing lanes or making turns.
- Vehicle blind spots: Because scooters are much smaller than passenger vehicles, drivers may not see them in their blind spots.
If you were negligent in your scooter accident, you may be able to seek compensation through your own insurance provider, depending on your policy. But if another driver was liable, you have the right to pursue compensation from them.
Contact our team today so we can fight to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Common Injuries From Accidents on Scooters
Riding a scooter makes you vulnerable to serious injuries in an accident. The following are some common injuries resulting from accidents on scooters:
- Bone fractures and dislocations: Scooter accidents often cause fractured bones. These accidents can force the scooter rider to land hard on their wrists, ankles, or collarbone or twist into an awkward position, leading to a fracture. Severe accidents can even lead to skull fractures.
- Traumatic brain injuries: When a scooter rider falls on their head during a serious crash, especially when they were not wearing a helmet, they can experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These injuries range in severity from mild concussions to permanent brain damage.
- Contusions: Contusions, also known as bruises, occur from a direct blow or impact. Serious contusions can take weeks to heal or even cause permanent internal organ damage.
- Sprains: The ligaments around the joints can become sprained when the joint stretches or tears too far, which often happens when a person falls during a scooter accident.
- Lacerations: Scooter riders can also experience lacerations if their uncovered skin strikes the scooter, the pavement, or any other sharp structures during a crash.
- Road rash: Road rash occurs when a person slides across the pavement, creating an abrasion where their skin meets the road. This is a common injury from accidents involving scooters, bikes, and motorcycles.
- Spinal cord injuries: In the worst cases, scooter accidents can lead to spinal cord injuries and paralysis.
Factors Affecting the Severity of Scooter Injuries
While the above injuries are common in scooter accidents, many factors can affect the severity of a victim’s e-scooter injuries. Prevailing factors include:
- Helmet use: Scooter riders should wear helmets, even if they are not legally required in their state. Helmet use can significantly reduce the risk of TBI and skull fractures.
- Speed of driver: The speed of the driver who struck the scooter rider can also impact the accident’s severity. Even a driver going only a few miles per hour can cause serious injuries if they hit a person on a scooter. Traveling any faster at the time of an accident can lead to devastating injuries.
- Type of accident: The type of accident also impacts the severity. A scooter rider who hit a bump in the pavement and fell may only experience some sprains and strains, while one who was struck by a motorist may face more significant injuries.
- Rider age: Scooter riders of any demographic can experience injuries in accidents, but age may affect a person’s ability to recover.
While you cannot control the actions of the motorists around you, taking a few precautions while riding a scooter — such as wearing a helmet and being aware of your surroundings — can lower your risk of experiencing serious injuries.
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What Damages Can You Seek After a Scooter Accident?
If another person was liable for or negligent in your scooter accident, you can seek both economic and non-economic damages. These make up for the direct monetary expenses you faced after the accident, along with the physical and emotional toll it has taken on you.
Economic expenses may include:
- Medical bills
- Time off work
- Property damage (such as damage to your scooter)
- Loss of future earning capacity
Meanwhile, non-economic expenses may encompass:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
Typically, the more severe your injuries, the greater your compensation award. If the person who caused your accident was acting recklessly, such as if they were drinking and driving, you may also qualify for punitive damages. These punish the at-fault party for their egregious actions by taking money directly from their bank account.
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Find Your Scooter Accident Attorney Through Accident Hotline
Accidents on scooters can lead to devastating injuries. While seeking compensation won’t turn back the clock, it can provide a small amount of comfort as you begin to move forward from this event.
Accident Hotline can help you find a qualified, compassionate attorney in your area. We connect accident victims with personal injury attorneys across the U.S., streamlining your process of finding legal help.
Contact Accident Hotline today at (562) 249-1474 to speak with an agent. Then, learn more about personal injury lawyer costs.
For a free consultation, call 888-340-7454
