The Dangers of E-scooters

E-scooter Accidents Are on the Rise

When the electric scooter boom first started in 2018, this new mode of transportation seemed like a promising way to provide people with a cheap, convenient way to get around. Unfortunately, the e-scooter boom has turned into a public nuisance. More and more people are reporting e-scooter-related injuries, and some cities are considering banning them altogether.

E-scooter Injuries Increase by 22%

Since their introduction, e-scooters have been involved in a lot of accidents. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there have been 360,800 emergency department visits for micro-mobility devices like e-scooters since 2017. Fractures and abrasions are very common, and in some cases, injuries can be even more severe. The CPSC reports 233 deaths caused by micro-mobility devices in the past five years.

Concerningly, data shows that the number of accidents keeps increasing each year. Between 2021 and 2022, e-scooter injuries increased by 22%. As more and more people begin using e-scooters to get around, more accidents will take place.

Reasons for E-scooter Accidents

E-scooters can cause injuries in multiple ways. One of the most common is collisions with pedestrians or other types of vehicles. Since they are so fast and mobile, e-scooters are harder to control than traditional bikes or scooters. Furthermore, incidents can happen because e-scooter drivers don’t always follow the rules of the road. They are comparatively small and can be hard for a car or truck driver to see, so e-scooter crashes happen fairly frequently.

Allentown personal injury lawyers have also noticed a lot of accidents related to e-scooter malfunctions. The batteries used to power these scooters can be a fire hazard. People with personal e-scooters that they charge at home sometimes end up being harmed in house fires. Meanwhile, public e-scooters that are left outside for people to rent can suffer from a lack of maintenance. Since they are vulnerable to vandalism and neglect, things like brake failure and bald tires can contribute to accidents.

The public perception of e-scooters has also led to quite a few injuries. In many cities, e-scooter rentals are advertised as a form of entertainment or a way to quickly go between bars and restaurants. They often may be driven by untrained people who may be inebriated.

Further, when visitors to a city use them to get around, their inexperience with the terrain and the city’s layout can result in tourists causing e-scooter accidents. These can lead to both injuries for e-scooter accident victims and property damage.

Who is Liable in an E-scooter Incident?

The rise in e-scooter injuries has also led to some interesting legal cases. For starters, finding the appropriate person to sue can be a challenge. e-scooter accidents tend to involve multiple parties, and many different people can be at fault.

The most common defendants in e-scooter lawsuits are either the people driving the scooter or the people who collided with the scooter. For example, if someone was driving an e-scooter while drunk and struck a pedestrian, the scooter driver will likely be at fault. Meanwhile, if a car ran through a red light and hit a person on a scooter, the car driver could be at fault.

Companies and businesses related to the e-scooter involved in a crash may also be liable. There have been some incidents where an e-scooter accident victim was able to sue the maker of the scooter. In situations such as a faulty scooter causing a wreck, the provider of the scooter might be at fault. Other related businesses might also be at fault in cases such as a bar telling a drunk patron to ride a scooter home.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an e-scooter accident, Metzger & Kleiner is here to help. Our team of Allentown personal injury lawyers can help you decide whether you want to pursue a lawsuit. We have over 40 years of practice in the personal injury field and serve people throughout Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley area. To schedule your consultation, call us today at 610-435-7400 or fill out and submit our contact form.