The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun an investigation into the dangers posed by dockless electric scooters. The study was launched at the request of Austin Public Health and the Austin Transportation Department and will look at severe injuries that occurred in the city from September to November 2018. During that time nearly 250 people were admitted to emergency rooms for scooter injuries. You might expect that the injuries were caused by collisions with cars, but the majority were from falls.
No Helmet
The shareable electric scooter fad is new and overtaking cities across the country. There are few or no regulations at this point. Riders often think of the scooters, and handle them, as they did the scooters they rode as children, failing to perceive the potential dangers. Although the study is far from complete, we already know that 98% of injured riders were not wearing helmets. Head and facial injuries are common among those severely injured on shareable electric scooters.
If You Were Injured by an Electric Scooter
If you have been injured while riding an electric scooter, by someone else who was riding one, or by encountering an unmanned scooter as so many just leave them lying around in public walkways, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. You will need the help of an experienced injury attorney.
Determining liability and finding the appropriate avenues of compensation in electric scooter cases, can be quite complicated. Riders are not required to carry liability insurance. Scooter companies are often to blame for malfunctions, and sometimes the city or a business owner bears responsibility.
If you have been hurt in a Maryland electric scooter accident, call Alison Mason Heurich, Esq. at 240-346-4883 today or email her right away to schedule your free consultation.
Alison Mason Heurich, Esq., Senior Attorney