Chicago Scooter Accident Lawyer
Electric scooters, also known as e-scooters, have been very popular in Chicago for the past several years. Companies such as Bird and Lime offer these dockless scooters as a convenient way for riders to get around the city. Users just have to log into the app, pick up their scooter, and away they go.
Unfortunately, e-scooters are highly unregulated in Chicago, or anywhere around the country. As such, inexperienced operators are involved in accidents with pedestrians, cyclists, and negligent motorists every year. If you have been injured in a crash, you need to speak to a Chicago scooter accident lawyer that can help you claim the damages you need to recover from your injuries.
Causes of Scooter Accidents
Scooter accidents occur for a number of different reasons. The five most common causes of these accidents are as follows:
- Defective machinery: Brake failure, battery crashes, locking front wheels, flat tires, and detached handlebars are just a few of the common reports of defective scooter machinery that results in serious injury to the rider.
- Improperly parked scooters: Riders are supposed to dock their scooters at specific locations, but that does not always happen. Even when riders are still using a scooter to get around, they may park them in areas that obstruct others, which can cause a trip or fall or another type of accident.
- Improper scooter use: Just about anyone that wants to ride on a scooter can use these services, which leads to many inexperienced and unskilled riders on the road.
- Road hazards: Even the great city of Chicago is not designed for scooter use. Construction areas, potholes, and slippery and wet roads pose the biggest hazards to scooter rid
- ers.
- Pedestrian accidents: When scooter riders are not aware of the laws, such as the fact that they are not allowed to ride on the sidewalk, they can cause serious pedestrian accidents.
Regardless of the cause of an accident, crashes involving scooters typically result in very serious injury.
Common Injuries After a Scooter Accident
According to the Dockless Electric Scooter-Related Injuries Study out of Austin, Texas, there are three types of injuries that are most common after a scooter accident. These injuries are as follows:
- Bone fractures, which made up 84 percent of scooter accident injuries, not including damage to the fingers, toes, or nose
- Damage to the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves, which accounted for 45 percent of scooter accident injuries
- Severe bleeding, which affected five percent of people involved in a scooter accident
Of all the participants studied, eight percent spent at least 48 hours in the hospital.
Our Chicago Scooter Accident Lawyers Can Help with Your Case
If you have been injured by a negligent driver or operator, our Chicago scooter accident lawyer at Connolly Injury Law can advise on your claim and help you recover a fair settlement that will cover the cost of your injuries. Call us now at 312-780-0816 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation and to obtain the legal advice you need.
